Rest in Pieces
by Jenny2007
Summary: SSHG Hermione receives detention and a letter from the ministry! My look at the WIKTT Marriage Law! WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS RAPE, SELF MUTILATION, SEXUAL RELATIONS, AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.OOC. Complete. Watch for the sequel!
1. Final Word from Author

It's amazing to me that so many years later I'm still getting reviews for this story. I wrote this story when I first left home to go to college and was very homesick. I was in a dark place emotionally and it showed with this story. It was a coping mechanism to help me get through school. I'm proud to say that I graduated this past may with my degree. I like to hear that you like my stories, but I'm sorry to say that I don't care at all if you don't like it. It is OOC but isn't that the point of fanfiction. If you don't like it, don't read it. If you send me bad reviews I'm just going to laugh. I'm thinking about taking this story down completely because truth be told I don't even like it much myself. TO all of my readers and reviewers who favorited this story and left all those wonderful reviews, THANK YOU! You really inspired me.


	2. The New Law

Rest in Pieces

By JennyRice07

Summary: Hermione is fed up with Severus's treatment of Neville in class. She decides to take action against him. Detention! This is also my response to the WIKTT Marriage Challenge. I'm kind of combining two different plots here!

Author's Note: This is my first attempt at fan fiction, so please be nice and review. Flames are welcome!

Disclaimer: I only own Severus Snape when I'm asleep…Well until dream Hermione steals him back again!!!!!

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Chapter One

The New Law

_To whom this may concern:_

_The ministry of magic would like to inform you of __a__ recent law that has been passed. The law has three __sections__. Please read the attached letter and return the __enclosed application__ to the ministry by no later than Thursday, September 8__th_

_Joyce Landon_

_Department of __Magical Reproduction_

Hermione dropped her fork onto her plate. She was already having trouble eating after Ron's latest insult. Add that with the letter she just received and you could bet that anything she ate would just end up in some toilet somewhere.

She wiped her mouth with her napkin and walked to the Head Girl Dormitory on the 5th floor. Thankfully this year she had her own bathroom with full size tub made of black marble, common room with black and red furniture, and a private bedroom with a 4-poster bed. All the rooms had a beautiful marble fireplace.

Hermione walked into her bedroom and sat on the bed. _I have to read the other part of the letter soon!_ She thought to herself. Slowly she pulled out the envelope from her pocket. She stared at it through tear filled eyes. Yes she knew about the new law. She'd been following it since the ministry proposed it this past summer. She like everyone else thought that it was just barbaric and that it would never be passed. She never expected it to affect her during her last year of school until Professor McGonagall informed her that because of her use with the time turner her third year that she was now considered 18.

She unfolded the second folded paper in the envelope and read:

_Ministry Degree # 643_

_The Ministry Degree 643 states the following:_

_Any unmarried witch or wizard 18 or older must marry. Purebloods must marry half-bloods or muggleborns. __The ministry will decide a suitable match for each eligible witch or wizard. Everyone must complete the following survey and return it to the ministry by the set date. You may petition for a certain witch or wizard. The ministry will consider all petitions and choose what we think is the best one. If you would like for your husband or wife to be changed you have one week (7 consecutive days) in which to notify the ministry in which we will for a fee switch to the second best suitor._

_You will be given exactly 30 days after you are notified of your suitors to marry. Failure to do so will result in 60 days in Azkaban. A two week honeymoon is mandatory. Marriages are permanent and divorce will not be allowed. All couples are required to __have sexual intercourse with__their__ spouses once a week until the terms of part 3 have been fulfilled._

_A child should be conceived during the first 90 days of your marriage. Abortions are not allowed. You must then __produce__ a second child within __three __years and a third within __seven__ years. All infertility potions and contraceptives are illegal! If caught using one you will be sentenced to Azkaban. Your sentence will be determined by what you used. Minimum of 90 days to __a __lifetime._

_Please fill out the attached survey and send it in._

_What is your most attractive quality?_

_What do you think is most attractive in others?_

_What is your blood status?_

_When did you graduate school?_

_What is your profession?_

_What are some hobbies?_

_What is the money range you are looking for?_

_What would you not want in a husband/wife?_

_Name some people you would want to marry._

_Do you have any pets?_

_What job do you want your spouse to have?_

_What __interest__ would you prefer your husband have?_

_What age range are you looking for?_

_What do you look for in looks?_

_Please write your full name below on the line._

Hermione sighed as she looked over the survey. _I might as well get this filled out and turned in __maybe__ I'll get lucky and someone nice will petition for me._ She thought to herself as she dug out her quill.

_My brains (at least that's what my ex told me!)_

_Their personality_

_Muggleborn_

_I'm in __my __7__th__ year at Hogwarts_

_Student_

_Reading, Walks on the beach, picnics, bubble baths, and potions_

_Doesn't matter_

_Someone __who's__ stuck up with money, someone violent, someone with no sense of humor, someone who would isolate me._

_I don't know_

_Yes I have a cat!_

_I don't know __maybe__ a Teacher or Librarian._

_Same as mine. I want him to read, take walks, etc._

_Doesn't matter as long as there are not OLD._

_Doesn't matter._

_Hermione Jane Granger_

Hermione sealed the envelope and walked up to the owlery to mail the letter. She didn't count on running into Ron there.

"Hello Mione. Who are you sending a letter to huh? Do you have someone you're talking to? Someone besides me. Your talking to Victor again aren't you. What's going on Mione? Tell me!" Ron was near shouting when he finished. Hermione could tell that he had been drinking. Where had he got the alcohol from this time! Dean promised to quit giving it to him after the last time he beat her.

"Ron are you drunk?" She asked as she backed up against the wall. She wasn't prepared for this. She had broken up with him 3 days ago so why was he here now. She told him it was over after he told her that she was fat and needed to quit eating altogether. She was already 20 pounds underweight!

"What does it matter? I'd love you if you were drunk! Why don't you love me Mione? There is someone else isn't there? You're seeing someone else!" He was almost falling over in the floor. He was also gaining on her and she was backed into a corner. She had to get help and quick.

Just when she was about to yell Harry walked in! He immediately grabbed Ron and wrestled him to the ground telling Hermione to get out of there. Hermione didn't need to be told twice. She ran as fast as she could back to her dorm.

Hermione collapsed on her couch crying. On her lamp stand was a picture of Harry, Ron, and herself when they were younger. She'd give anything to have the good days before Ron was addicted to alcohol. The sooner she was married and had a husband to protect her from Ron the better. Then she had a though dawn on her. What is her husband was like Ron?

No she wouldn't think that way. Hermione fell asleep on her couch that night. She forgot to set an alarm. Little did she know that being late for Potions in the morning would be the start of some very interesting events?

Authors note: PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW. I want to know if I should continue this story or not. Flames are welcome to but please don't be to mean. I cry really easily. Brownies to you all!!!!


	3. Outrage!

Rest in Pieces

By JennyRice07

Summary: In Chapter One

Disclaimer: Damn that Hermione… No matter how long I dream it she still manages to steal Snape. I own nothing!!!!

Authors note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I'm sorry about the errors. I forgot to use spell check. When I looked up and saw that it was almost midnight and my algebra 126 test was set for 6 in the morning, I just posted the story as is. I'll use the spell check for sure from now one. Love and Brownies to you all!!!

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Chapter 2

Outrage!!!

Hermione looked at the clock in her lounge! 8:15AM. _OMG_ she thought _I'm going to be late for potions._

She knew she was going to get jumped by Professor Snape as soon as she walked in the door. She had enough on her mind dealing with the new law and Ron's alcohol problems. She really didn't think she could handle Snape being his usual ass.

Sure enough when she walked through the door and sat beside Neville Snape jumped her. (She always sat with Neville now. Mostly just to avoid Ron and partly to keep Neville from blowing up the room…again!)

"Miss Granger that's 20 points off for running in a Potions classroom and 30 points off for being late!"

Hermione bit her tongue as she set up her lab station next to Neville. They worked quietly for about an hour until Hermione saved him from a huge explosion.

"No Neville. You can't add the daffodil roots yet. You have to boil it first. Watch me do it!"

"Miss Granger are you aware that helping your fellow idiots is against the rules in my classroom?"

Hermione was so sick of Severus treating Neville this way. Maybe it was that and the combination of the stress from the law and her problems with Ron that caused Hermione to speak out like she did.

"Ok Professor if you need help I restrain from helping you!"

"Excuse me Miss Granger but did you just talk back to me in my classroom?" Severus was about two feet from her now with his anger boiling to the surface. "I think that's a detention for one week!"

"I'm not coming! I'm sick to death of people keeping me from doing my own free will and I'm stopping that. I won't listen to you or to the ministry or…"Hermione could feel her eyes filling with tears as she spoke.

"Miss Granger if you have a problem with the marriage law that is between yourself and the ministry. I'm increasing your detention to one month for your smart mouth. Maybe after a month you'll learn to stay quiet." Snape spook so quietly you could barely hear him.

"Did you not hear me you greasy dungeon bat? I'm not coming to your detention." She was starting to get a little louder now.

"That will be 6 months worth of detention Miss Granger! Would you like to try for more?" Snape was so quiet now that only Hermione could hear him.

"FUCK YOU SEVERUS SNAPE!" At this point Hermione had jumped out of her chair and was yelling in his face.

"Hermione Granger you have just received 1 year of detention. That's every night this month and then weekly after that. This will be very funny when someone looks up previous Head Girls and sees that this one had a year's worth of detention. Now leave my classroom and I want to see you back here at 7:00pm sharp! NOW GO!" Snape bellowed the last part as a sobbing Hermione Granger grabbed her bag and left rather abruptly.

Hermione just barely made it to her rooms before she collapses into tears so hard that she couldn't breathe. She must have cried for over two hours because when she looked up it was 2:00PM. Hermione drank herself some pumpkin juice before she heard an owl knocking on her window. As she let the owl in, she noticed that it was a ministry owl.

_Oh no! Not yet. They can't just marry me off this quick_. Hermione untied the letter and read to herself.

_Dear Miss Hermione Jane Granger:_

_We are informing you that your application is being processed right now! A total of three suitors are possible. We will not disclose their names. The choice should be made within the next week. You should get your letter soon._

_Hope you are well,_

_Joyce Landon_

_Department of Magical Reproduction_

_Well at least this wasn't the official letter telling me that I have 30 days to enter hell!_ Hermione snorted into her pumpkin juice.

Hermione looked over at her fireplace. On the mantle she had two pictures. The first was another of Harry, Ron, and herself. This one also had Ginny beside them. It was taken back when everything was perfect. She was with Ron and Harry and Ginny were dating. The picture was taken a few months before the final fight with Voldemort. Harry had been injured really badly when the part of Voldemort inside of him died. He and Ginny stayed together. They were engaged now and were getting married this summer. Ginny was still Hermione's best friend. She was always there for Hermione.

The second picture was of her mother and father. Hermione missed them so much. A few weeks before the final battle three death eaters had found that they were the parents of the girl traveling with Harry Potter. They broke into the house and tortured her parents to death. Hermione didn't have any money so she lost the house and everything but a few personal items to the muggle banks. Sometimes when things were really bad Hermione would sit with the picture held to her chest and cry herself to sleep.

Hermione looked up at the clock. _Shit_she thought, _Its__ time to go to detention._

As Hermione made her way to the dungeons she came to a realization that Snape was also being affected by the marriage law. She felt kind of sorry for the man. After all living on your own for 20 some years and now being forced to marry someone you probably didn't know.

Hermione knocked on his door.

"Enter!"

Snape was sitting at his desk grading papers. He didn't look up or even acknowledge that she was there. Finally he looked up.

"Miss Granger there is a box of newts in the storage closet. I want you to dissect them and put the pieces into categories. Eyes, Legs, Liver, Heart, etc."

Hermione walked into the storage closet and took down the box of newts and the containers for their parts.

"Professor there must be 400 of these. This will take days!"

Severus smiled at her. It was an unusual smile. In fact Hermione couldn't ever remember Snape smiling. What was he up too?

"Miss Granger I seem to remember that you have detention every night for a month. Now these newts shouldn't take longer than a week so get to it!"

With that Snape went back to grading his papers. He smiled on the inside when he heard Hermione groan. He knew that she hated dissecting animals. This was going to be an interesting week.

Two weeks later:

Albus Dumbledore often wondered how other people could hate the law. He personally thought it was a wonderful thing. He'd noticed the enrollment in muggleborns was way down in the last 4 years. He had expected it but he wasn't quite prepared when Severus stormed into his office one late September morning.

Severus slammed down a piece of paper with his right hand and banged his left fist on Albus's desk. "This is an outrage Albus!" Dumbledore just sit quietly seeing as Severus was shaking with anger. "I won't do this!"

Albus looked down at the paper in front of him.

_Severus Snape:_

_The ministry has decided on your spouse. Unfortunately we have to inform you that she was your only choice so you cannot change. __ Your spouse however has three suitors if she wishes to change. If that is the case we will reevaluate your file and place you with another match.__ We expect your marriage to take place within 30 days receiving this letter. _

_Your spouse will be 18 year old Hermione Jane Granger. We compared your interest surveys and decided that she is your best choice. We wish you both well._

_Please have a wonderful day!_

_Joyce Landon_

_Department of Magical Reproduction_

Dumbledore chuckled, "Well now that's a pair that I wouldn't expect."

"Wouldn't expect Albus I'm 38, she's 18, I'm the greasy dungeon bat, and she's the know-it-all from hell itself! I can't marry her!" Severus sunk into the chair in front of Albus's desk. He was out of breath.

"My dear Severus, why would marriage be so bad for you? You may actually enjoy marriage to a young beautiful girl."

"Albus I'm not right for her. She'll be a laughing stock to her classmates for the rest of the year!"

"That's not necessarily true Severus!"

"It is true Albus. I have to do something drastic to make her ask for a new petition! I have to hurt her and bad!"

"Severus I think you are making a mistake but if you insist I'll turn my head to whatever you do to her. I will say this though, she'll be harder to get rid of then you think Sev!"

Severus stood up and walked to the door. He glanced down at his watch. 2 hours until his detention with Hermione. He had to make her change her mind and soon.

Hermione was shaking so badly that she dropped the piece of paper. Tears where streaming down **her** face. How could they do this?

Hermione bent and picked up the paper. For what seemed like the 500th time she reread it.

_Hermione Granger_

_The ministry has decided on y__our spouse. After many compatibility tests your application has had three matches. The first and the best is the one the ministry has set up your marriage too. The others are options based on if you request a change from your number one._

_The following__ are in order from best to worst:_

_Severus Snape_

_Draco Malfoy_

_Ronald Weasley_

_We expect your wedding to take place in thirty days. Congratulations on your engagement._

_Hope you are well,_

_Joyce Landon_

_Department of Magical Reproduction_

Hermione tried but she couldn't stop the tears. Snape hated her. Malfoy would use her and only god knows what kind of dark magic he would use on her or worse make her use. She and Ron would never be together after…no she didn't want to think about it. She had enough on her plate without remembering how wonderful her life was those 4 months.

I _guess I'm stuck with Snape. At least he won't criticize me for liking to read. He may not like me but maybe we could learn to like one another._ She thought to herself.

As she glanced at her watch it was 10 minutes until her detention was to start. As she gathered her things together she couldn't help but wonder what Snape was going to say about this.

Author's Note: Next time is the first violent detention. I'm getting in to some graphic stuff. There will be cutting, rape, and abuse in the next few chapters. This is just a forewarning. Please be nice and review!!!! Love and Brownies to you all!!!!


	4. Detention!

Rest in Pieces

By JennyRice07

Summary: Read Chapter One.

Disclaimer: He was mine for a few hours last night, but alas Hermione stole him again this morning. I own nothing. I'm just playing in J.K.'s world for a while!

WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS RAPE AND SELF-MUTILATION!!! IF YOU DO NOT LIKE TO READ THIS TYPE OF STUFF PLEASE SKIP TO THE NEXT CHAPTER AND DON'T FLAME ME. YOU HAVE BEEN FORE WARNED.

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Chapter 3

Detention

Hermione knocked on the door.

"Enter!" Severus was sitting at his desk once again grading paper. "Miss Granger please get started!"

"Sir I was wondering if I could have a word with you first?" Hermione walked up to his desk. Snape but down the papers and looked up at her. Hermione could already see the look of disgust on his face. _I guess Ron was right. I'm fat, stupid, and no man would want me!_ Hermione could feel the tears forming in her eyes. She had voweled not to cry in front of Snape. She didn't want him to know how much she was depending on him to accept her.

"Very well then Miss Granger. I have no doubt that you have received your letter. When do you plan on requesting a different spouse?"

"To be quite honest sir, I had no intentions of switchi…"

"Hermione you can't possibly want to stay in a relationship with me. Write a request and change spouses. I know you had two other petitions than mine."

Hermione leaned on his desk and took a breath, "With all due respect sir, I'm not changing my spouse. You're stuck with me!"

"Oh really! I can make you change your mind about that!" Snape stood up and walked towards Hermione.

Hermione backed away and found herself against her desk. Snape was gaining on her and then all at once he had his hands on either side of her braced on the desk.

"Miss Granger did you finish those newts yet?"

"No sir, I just have a few…."

"I told you that those newts were to be finished in one week it's been two. I think that calls for some punishment. Give me your wand!"

"What?" Hermione was totally confused now.

"I said give me your wand Miss Granger!"

"You're crazy! I'm not giving you my wand."

"Then I'll just have to take it!" Severus lunged and grabbed her wand. In one swift move he had unarmed her. He laid her wand on another desk and held her in place so she couldn't get it. He cast a silencing charm on the door as well as a locking one.

"What are you doing?" Hermione was so scared she couldn't breathe "What are you going to do?"

"I think you'll find out Hermione!" Her name on his lips sounded so weird that she froze. This can't be good, she thought.

Severus grabbed Hermione and lifted her onto the desk. He laid her flat on her back and used a binding spell to tie her to the desk. Hermione screamed. Then Severus grabbed her shirt and purposely ripped it down the middle. Then he yanked her skirt down her hips. She was no longer screaming but she was crying silently. Well he could see why. He had tied her to a desk and left her lying in her panties and bra. _Well that's about to change!_ He thought. He unclasped her bra and let it fall to the floor. Hermione was crying a little harder now.

Severus put his face close to her chest. He saw her beautiful breasts. For a brief second he wondered why he was fighting this when he could have this beautiful woman with him for the rest of his life. He licked up and down her chest and stomach stopping at her nipples. He took her right nipple into his mouth and sucked gently. Then he did the same to the other. Hermione had stopped crying now. In fact he could swear he heard her moan. This wasn't the way it was supposed to be.

Severus ripped her panties off and used a quick spell to remove his clothing. He should have prepared her but he wanted to hurt her. He had to hurt her. He had to make her see that he was no good. That she'd be better off with someone else.

Severus placed his member at her entrance and slammed into her with one quick motion. He continued this. He could feel her tearing. Hermione screamed and burst into tears again. After a few seconds she quieted and just seemed to let it happen.

Hermione couldn't believe it. Professor Snape was raping her. No her future husband was having sex with her. She made up her mind not to let him win. She wasn't going to let him hurt her bad enough to switch spouses. He was stuck with her. She lay there very still. When he entered her it hurt so bad she felt like she was being ripped in half. She didn't mean to scream and she couldn't keep the tears from flowing. It wasn't like she was a virgin. Ron had done this same thing so many times that she was immune to it but Severus was so big. Finally the pain passed and Hermione took a breath. She laid very still and let him finish. Finally she felt his release. When he pulled out he looked at her with so much disgust she wanted to cry again.

"You didn't mind that at all did you? It hurt you but you'd let me do that anytime and you wouldn't stop me would you?" He couldn't believe it. He couldn't. He'd raped her for crying out loud.

"You're my future husband. If you want me I can't stop you." She said as she stood up on shaky legs.

"Damn it Granger! You're going to change your spouse. You don't want me as a husband. Can't you see that? You're making a mistake."

"It's me isn't it? You don't want me. You think I'm ugly and fat. You think I'm not good enough for you. If that's what you think I'll just kill myself tonight and then you'd be considered a widower instead of a single man. Then this law wouldn't affect you. You could live your life alone. Without an embarrassing wife!" Hermione was screaming and crying and she had no idea where this was coming from.

Severus didn't know what to think. He stepped closer to her. She looked up at him with tear stained eyes. Severus raised his hand and brought it down against her face. It wasn't meant to be hard enough to knock her down but it was. When she stood back up he saw that he had left a hand print.

"Hermione I've never thought those things, and I wouldn't if we were married. I never want to hear those words out of your mouth again. Now go to your rooms and get out of my sight." Severus turned his back on her.

Hermione grabbed her clothes and mended them. She dressed quickly then ran back up to her room. She dropped her bag in the bedroom and ran into the bathroom. She had her own bathroom but she still felt more secure when she locked the door. She grabbed her makeup box from the cabinet and dug to the bottom to retrieve her prize.

Hermione pulled out her razor blade. She hadn't cut in so long. She brought the blade against her skin. The blood oozed out of her wound. She pulled the blade again and again and again. She was slowly killing her pain. Her pain at having a husband that could never love her, at the pain of losing her best friend Ron, at the pain of having a year's detention, and of all the pain she felt from everything.

Hermione looked down and noticed the puddle of blood on the floor. She rinsed off her blade and put it back into her makeup bag. Then she bandaged up where she had cut. When she looked in the mirror she could still see his handprint. It had bruised he hit her so hard. At least tomorrow was Saturday and the only thing she had to do was detention. Head boy did the rounds on Saturday nights.

She had to confront Snape tomorrow. He deserved to know the truth about Ron and why she wouldn't switch spouses. He needed to know her deepest secret that only her closest friends know.

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Announcement: I'm sorry the chapters are so short. The next chapter will be about Ron and Hermione's past and why they broke up and what caused Ron's alcohol problem. Please review!!!!! Love and Brownies to all!!!! 


	5. Explanations!

Rest in Pieces

By JennyRice07

Summary: Read Chapter One.

Disclaimer: I only have Severus when I sleep. Hermione has him when I'm awake. I own nothing. K

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Chapter 4

Explanations

Hermione went to her detention 2 hours early. She knocked on his door hoping that he was in his office.

"Enter!" She had hoped right. She walked into his office. He looked at her quite strangely but didn't ask her to leave. "Miss Granger please have a seat."

"Could you call me Hermione please for right now?" She was on the verge of crying but she had to tell Severus. He needed to know.

"Hermione what brings you here so early?"

"Severus I'm not changing my spouse. I want you to know that then I want you to know why. Will you let me explain everything?" She was desperate. If he said no she didn't think she could stand it.

"Ok Hermione. I'd like to hear your reasons. Obviously if what I did to you yesterday couldn't change your mind then you must have a very good reason."

"Severus my other two choices weren't options at all. Draco Malfoy and Ron Weasley."

"Well I can understand Draco. But why not Ron. You two were so close."

"We started dating right after the final fight. We were together for about 6 months. I was still getting over losing mom and dad. When Ron wanted me to sleep with him I didn't argue because it made me feel loved and wanted. After we were together for about 4 months I found out that I was pregnant."

Severus was shocked. He had no idea that she had been pregnant. His curiosity got the best of him. He wanted to know what happened to the baby.

"I was thrilled to death. I wanted a baby so bad. I guess it was a way of making up for not having mom and dad with me anymore. I thought Ron was happy too but apparently I was wrong. We went to visit Bill and Fleur one day over summer break. Ron started drinking. I didn't realize how much he was drinking. We had both passed our muggle drivers licenses. I was really sick with morning sickness. I guess I was about 7 or 8 weeks along. Ron drove us home. I didn't know he'd been drinking like that. I didn't know that…that…"

Hermione burst into tears. Severus stood and walked over to her. He wrapped his arms around her. Hermione seemed to bury her face into his neck. He stood again and went to fetch something. He reentered the room and handed her a cup of ginger ale. Hermione took several big gulps until she finally calmed down.

"So anyway," she continued, "Ron and I get into the car. Ron's driving. He'd been drinking. He hit a bridge. The car spun out of control. I don't know why but I didn't have a seat beat on. I always put my seat belt on. I forgot that day. I went through the windshield and hit a tree."

Hermione sniffled and took another sip of ginger ale. "When I awoke in the hospital a few days later they told me I'd lost my baby. They told me that I had some intensive damage to my uterus and there was a good chance that I might not be able to have more children or if I get pregnant that I won't be able to carry the baby full term. I also had some sever scaring on my face and my stomach. Ron told me I was hideous and that no one would ever love me. He took to drinking and now he just stays drunk."

Severus hadn't noticed the scars until she said something. He did notice them then. She had two on her face. One was from her ear to her jaw and the other was across her forehead. They had faded you had to really look to see them. And come to think of it he did remember seeing some scars on her stomach the day before.

"Do you understand now? Can you understand why I want to stay with you? I know you don't like me but at least you won't hurt me. At least not like they do!" Hermione was sobbing out of control now. Severus stood and took Hermione in his arms. He shushed her and rocked her slightly and kissed her forehead.

When she calmed down he sat down with her and started talking. "Hermione I want to set the record straight. I don't hate your or not like you. In fact I think you are really good company sometimes. We do have a lot in common and I think it's enough to build a strong relationship with. I never really wanted kids so if we have them we have them. And Hermione your scars are gone. You have to squint to see them. I didn't even notice they were there until you said something. You actually a very beautiful woman. As far as the being fat thing goes, Hermione your skin and bones if anything you need to gain a little weight. I like you just the way you are."

"Really you mean all of that?" Hermione hiccupped.

"Yes I do. I guess now we need to make wedding plans and honeymoon plans and house plans and all that other wonderful stuff that we have to do."

"Yes we do." Hermione laughed at him then she snuggled up to his stomach. "But I don't understand. If you thought all that why did you want me to switch spouses?"

Severus turned away from Hermione and walked over to the fireplace. He was quiet for sometime before he finally spoke. "Hermione I like you. I like you a lot. Your beautiful and smart and a whole lot of other things. I was afraid that if you married me you would become a laughingstock of your classmates. I didn't want you to hate me and hate being married to me because your friends tease you. I would marry you tomorrow if I could!"

"I don't have any friends Severus. I had Ron and Harry and Ginny. I still have Harry and Ginny and they wouldn't say anything. No one else here is my friend. I talk to Neville. That's all." Hermione was starting to get warm so she took off her cloak. She had forgotten that she had rolled her sleeves up so they wouldn't irritate her cuts.

"What's that on your arm?" Severus spotted her cuts and walked over to examine them.

"It…It's nothing. Just some scratches!" Hermione pulled her arms out of Severus's reach.

"Bull shit! Those aren't scratches." Severus pulled Hermione's arms back out to examine them closely.

"Hermione you did these yourself. No doubt with a razor. Why Hermione and when?"

"Last night after…I thought you really didn't want me. I thought that after you had your way with me… you looked at me like I was some disgusting diseased thing that you never wanted to touch again. I just needed to make the pain go away Sev. That's all. I just needed a release."

"Find a new release Hermione. I don't' want to see your arms like this again ever. Do you understand me?" Severus was speaking a little more harshly than he would have liked, but he had to get through to her. He felt really bad because he had caused these cuts.

"Sev it's the only release I know of."

"Hermione now that you know that I don't hate you and that I don't think your ugly, fat, disgusting, or smelly why do you need a release?"

Hermione just hung her head and started crying again.

Severus walked over to her and placed his hand under her chin. He lifted her chin so that their eyes meet. "Hey, I'm going to make you happy ok. You don't have to be sad anymore. I'm here now. All those sad things you think about, Ron, I'll make you forget you ever knew him. Your parents, I can make you so happy that you don't miss them as much. Hermione we'll have a baby! You'll see we will. We'll have a baby and it will be health and have its mother's lungs and when he or she turns 11 half the teachers at this school will retire for the sake of their health. Just think about it Hermione. A beautiful baby girl with your smile and eyes."

"As long as the poor thing doesn't have your nose." Hermione giggled.

"Point taken. At least you've cheered up. Now we have a wedding to plan my lady!"

* * *

Announcement: Once again I'm sorry for the short chapter. I'm trying to prolong my story a little bit and break it down into chapters. Next chapter is the wedding and honeymoon. Please review! Love and Brownies to you all!!!! 


	6. Misunderstandings!

Rest in Pieces

By JennyRice07

Summary: Read Chapter one

Disclaimer: I own nothing. And Hermione won't let me have Severus.

Author's Note: Thanks to all my reviewers. Love and cookies to all of you. I have no idea how many chapters this is going to be. I keep getting more idea's for new chapters. I'm sorry but the wedding will have to wait. I feel like Hermione and Severus have another issue to resolve yet!

WARNING!!!! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SELF-MUTILATION!!! IF YOU DO NOT LIKE DO NOT READ!!!!

* * *

Chapter 5

Misunderstandings

"Who's there?" Hermione sat up in her bed clutching the sheet around her. She came back after Transfiguration to take a short nap before her detention with Severus. She had awakened to the sound of footsteps and someone breathing. It was the middle of the day, so her room wasn't dark. Even with the daylight she couldn't see anyone.

"Mione, can we talk?"

Shivers ran up her spine. She knew that voice. "Ron what are you doing in my room? How did you get in here?" Hermione jumped up and turned on the light.

Ron flinched as the light filled the room. He looked awful. His clothes looked like he'd worn them for weeks. He hadn't shaved in god knows how long. Hermione tried to smell him but she couldn't smell any alcohol.

"I just needed to see you!"

"Ron look, I'm getting married. We can't be together anymore. To be honest even if we could I wouldn't want to be with you."

"Hermione please! I wanted to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm a drunk. If I wasn't a drunk you'd still love me, you wouldn't have gotten hurt in that car wreak, we could be married, hell Hermione we could have a baby right now!" When she looked up she noticed that Ron was crying.

"Ron please don't cry! We had our chance. It just wasn't right. We both knew it. I've moved on."

"I know Hermione! I really do. I still love you. If you'd take me back, I swear I wouldn't drink anymore. I promise I won't. I need you Hermione." Ron walked to the bed and sat down. He was looking at the floor but Hermione knew that he was crying.

"You don't need me Ron. I've moved on. Maybe you should try dating some new people." Hermione sat beside Ron.

"I have Hermione. It's not the same!"

"Ron I'm getting married in less than a month…"

"I know. I'm supposed to be marrying Lavender in two weeks. We can request a change."

"Ron I can't do that! He's a good man. He'll take care of me. You and Lavender will be happy. You'll see." Hermione patted Ron on the back.

"Can you at least promise me one thing Hermione?"

"What is it?"

"Promise me that you'll come to my wedding and allow me to come to yours."

"I can't promise that until I talk to Sev…my fiancée about it. I will ask him though."

"Lavender and I have set a date. Well it was more like Lavender sat the date. She hasn't let me plan anything. Our wedding is 9 days from now. I'd love it if you could come."

"Does Lavender know?"

"She said I could invite you if I wanted."

"I'll try Ron. I really will." Hermione looked up at the clock, "Oh crap Ron I'm late for detention!"

Ron sniffed and stood up leaving Hermione alone on her bed, "Hermione if things with your husband don't work out, will you at least consider giving me another chance?"

"I'll consider it, but Ron I really think things are going to work out between us. Besides you still have Lavender to think about."

Hermione walked Ron to the door. They embraced like old friends and said their goodbyes.

"Enter" Snape sat at his desk grading papers. Hermione was late for detention. She was never late.

"Severus I'm sorry I'm late!" Hermione was out of breath. She must have ran all the way from the Head Girls dormitories.

"Miss Granger you may call me Severus, Sev, or dungeon bat when we are alone in a personal atmosphere, but when we are in class or detention or anywhere else school related I am still your teacher. Please respect me and call me as such."

"I'm sorry Professor Snape."

Hermione sat in silence for several minutes. "Sev…er…Professor Snape is there anything in particular you need me to do tonight?"

"Yes as a matter of fact…I would like you to tell me why you were late for detention!"

"Oh…er…about that…" Hermione really didn't want to tell him about Ron but she had to.

"Yes?"

"I took a nap after Transfiguration. When I awoke Ron Weasley was in my room." Hermione looked down at the floor because she didn't want to see Severus's face.

"Why on Earth would Ron Weasley be doing in your room?"

"He was there to tell me how sorry he was for everything. He asked me to consider him if things between you and I don't work out."

"Consider him?" Severus couldn't think straight. Here he was finally accepting the fact that he was going to be a married man. Now he felt as if his future wife had smacked him in the face."

"I take it that your sending in your request for a switch then.'

"I didn't…" Hermione looked up and just stared at him. She couldn't believe he still thought that. He knew she had no feelings for Ron.

"Be that the case I see no more reason for you to be in my presence with detention. You've done more than enough to make up for some slight back talking. You are free to go Miss Granger."

"Professor Snape, I…"

"Miss Granger please leaves my sight."

"But I…"

"Miss Granger I believe I asked you very nicely to leave and have a good life."

"Severus…"Hermione couldn't believe what was happening. He thought that she was going back to Ron. She wouldn't. She couldn't.

"Get out!" Severus just wanted to be left alone. She had hurt him. She didn't even realize how much.

"Sev please!" Beg! She had to beg! She couldn't lose Sev.

"GET OUT!" Severus was on his feet. He didn't mean to be yelling at her but he wanted solitude.

"Severus please!" Hermione could no longer hold the tears back.

"OUT!" You never use more than a single punctuation mark unless it is !? denoting inquisitive excitement. Snape yelled the word so loud he was sure that the Headmaster heard it.

Hermione ran out of the room. She ran to the nearest bathroom because she knew she wouldn't make it to the Head Girls room without some release. She entered one of the stalls and opened her bag. She dug in her bag until she pulled out a change purse. Out of the change purse she pulled her trusty razor.

Severus couldn't believe that he had lost his wife before he even had her. He didn't want Hermione with Ron Weasley. He wanted her with him. He walked into his room and collapsed onto the bed. To make matters worse, the first class of the morning was the class he taught her.

Hermione ran the blade across her skin. Again and again and again she sliced herself. This time it wasn't numbing the pain. Hermione decided that cutting her wrists wasn't going to do it. She raised her shirt and rested the blade against the smooth skin of her stomach. She took a deep breath and ran the blade over her stomach.

Blood was everywhere, but she couldn't stop. She cut herself again. She keep slicing. The only thought that she could think was that she'd lost the only man that she could ever love. She was so worked up that she didn't even notice that she was getting dizzy. She just kept cutting until everything went black.

* * *

Snape looked over at his clock. It was barley 1:00 AM. Less than 2 hours since he and Hermione had argued. Who on god's Earth would be knocking on his door at this time of night.

Severus put on his robe and headed to the door. He was in fact very surprised to see Minerva standing there in her p.j.'s.

"Can I help you Minerva?"

"Severus we've had an emergency in the infirmary. We need any blood replenishing potions you have. IF you have anything to heal cuts we'll need you to bring them too."

Severus gathered the potions and followed Minerva to the infirmary. He couldn't help but wonder what had happened.

"Minerva what is the emergency? Is it a student?"

"Yes and it looks as if she started cutting and couldn't stop. They found her in a bathroom about 20 minutes ago. She was nearly dead."

Severus felt his stomach drop as the rounded the stairs. They had to stop for only a second as one staircase had to change.

"Who was the girl Minerva?" he didn't want to hear it. He had a feeling that he already knew.

"Oh Severus. It's Hermione Granger! But why would she cut herself?"

Severus took a deep breath and answered the question. After all he knew the answer, "She did it because I wouldn't listen!"

"What are you talking about Severus? Wouldn't listen to what?"

"I thought that she was going to request a different spouse. I didn't want to hear her say it!"

"You mean that you and Miss Granger were paired by the ministry?"

"I'm afraid so Minerva!" Severus could feel his legs shaking as they headed down the hallway towards the infirmary. Severus wanted to hand Minerva the potions and run, but he couldn't. He had to see Hermione. He had to tell her that he still cared for her and that he would still marry her.

As they walked in Poppy took all the potions from him and immediately started administering them to a girl in the far corner bed. Severus walked slowly over to the bed. He was in shock from all the cuts. She had not only cut her arms all to hell but her stomach and legs too.

"Severus if you could just rub these cut mending potions on her cuts! Start with her stomach. Those were the worst!"

Severus grabbed the bottle and cloth. He gently started rubbing away the cuts on her stomach. Hermione whimpered from the burn of the potion as Poppy poured some more blood replenishing potion down her throat.

Finally after what seemed like hours, Hermione was awake and her cuts mended. Poppy was making her stay for a day under observation. Poppy (who had been informed by Minerva) left Severus and Hermione alone for while.

Severus pulled the curtains and cast a silencing charm on them.

"Hermione I want you to promise me that no matter what you will not do this again! No matter what! I want you to promise me that you won't cut yourself like this again. I don't want…I don't want to see you lying on a hospital bed bleeding to death ever again." Severus was crying. He hadn't cried since he was 10 years old, but he could feel the tears falling at the thought of how close he was to losing Hermione just now.

"Severus, I never had any intention of going back to Ron. In fact I told Ron that I wanted you. You wouldn't even let me explain. I thought that I had lost you. I couldn't help it. That though just hurt too much. I need the hurt to go away." Hermione was crying too. She just wanted to hear that he still wanted her. That he still wanted to be with her.

"Hermione I know that now. I was a stupid man then. I'd have come to my senses soon enough. I don't understand though. Why do I mean so much to you? Why would you do this to yourself because of me?"

"I did it because I thought I was losing you. I couldn't stand that because I lo." Hermione cut off suddenly and turned away from him.

Severus stood from his chair and walked over to the bed. He grabbed her chin and turned her towards him. Her tears were streaming now. He gently wiped them away, "Because you what Hermione?"

Hermione took several deep breaths._ You can do this Hermione. You have to tell him. He has to know how you really feel._ She looked him right in the eye, "I couldn't stand it because I love you Severus. I've fallen in love with you."

Severus was in shock. He didn't know how to respond to her. He decided just to be honest.

"Hermione, I don't want to tell you a lie. So I won't tell you until I'm a hundred percent sure. I feel something for you. It something stronger than anything I've ever thought for anyone. I won't tell you that it's love until I'm sure that it really is. I really like you. And I really care for you. Do you understand Mione?"

Hermione teared up again when Sev called her Mione. She loved been called Mione. Hardly anyone called her that. She couldn't answer she just nodded her head.

The next day:

"Miss Granger, I'm worried about your mental health at the moment. I understand that you've been under a great deal of stress. For the time being I don't think you should stay by yourself."

Hermione just looked at Dumbledore with a blank look. She didn't understand at all, "Headmaster is you taking away my Head Girl title?" Just the thought of that made her tear up. She had worked so hard to earn that title.

"Not at all Miss Granger! Not at all! I was simply suggesting that we put off your rounds or allow someone to accompany you. And I was also suggesting that you stay with someone and not stay alone for a while."

"Headmaster, where am I going to go? Ginny is my only friend and her dorm is full!"

"Hermione how would you feel if you moved into Severus's quarters a little early. I know the both of you have planned your wedding to be in a week."

"I'd like that if it's all right with you headmaster!"

"Miss Granger I have another idea! Let's not tell Severus. I just want to see how he reacts when you tell him. You'll have to tell me about it of course. I trust that you'll be ok to walk to the dungeons?"

"Yes sir!"

Hermione was actually terrified. What if Sev said no! Where would she go? She walked as slow as she could and still ended up at Snape's rooms quicker than she wanted to. She knocked on his office first and received no answer. She knocked on his classroom door and found that it was unlocked. She stepped in to find that he was teaching a group of students.

_Oh no! I didn't think that he might have a class. This is a double class too so if it's just starting it could take four hours. Where am I going to go? _

Hermione looked around and didn't see Severus anywhere. She recognized one of the boys as a first year Ravenclaw, "Do you know where Professor Snape is?"

"Um…"

"Professor Snape…" One girl at the front of the room called out. She was a Slytherin first year.

"What is it?" She heard Severus use that tone he always used in class. He was in the store room. There were notes on the board so he must have ordered them to take notes.

"You have a visitor sir!"

Severus couldn't believe his luck. First he had one first year Hufflepuff blow up two cauldrons in one day. He'd spilt all of his pain relief potions off the top shelf breaking all of them. And just when he was getting finished he had a visitor. Severus was going to chew the pants off of whoever was out there alright.

"Miss Granger?" Severus walked out of the store room. _He must have spelt something on himself_, she thought.

"Um…sir when you get a chance, I need to speak with you!" Hermione was suddenly hit with a wave of nausea. She turned and ran for the bathroom.

Snape ran after her. He caught up with her and pulled her into his office and private bathroom. Hermione heaved up what seemed to be everything she'd eaten in a month.

"That's a rather nasty side effect of the blood replenishing potion I'm afraid. I have to get back to my class but you're free to explore this office and the other rooms if you can find how to enter them. It will be about two hours so make yourself at home."

Hermione looked around his office. It was decorated in Silver and Green. He had a black desk with a leather chair at one side and a black leather couch on the other (which she was sitting in!) The bathroom attached was a small room with only a toilet and sink. Hermione walked over the bookshelf. She tugged one a book that caught her eye. It didn't budge. Finally she gave up and grabbed for another. The whole bookshelf opened up with this. Hermione walked down the hall not knowing where it lead. She ended up in a beautiful sitting room. It had Black and green leather chairs. A marble fireplace. Multiple bookcases and other interesting things. She walked to the left and opened a door that lead to the master bedroom apparently. It had a lovely 4 poster bed with a black frame and green satin bedding.

The bathroom was attached to the sitting room and master bedroom. It was beautiful with a black marble tub, sink, and toilet. There were green curtains and towels.

Hermione found what she guessed was the guest room. It wasn't really decorated at all. Beside it was a smaller not fancy bathroom. Then there was the kitchen. It was a little smaller than the other rooms. It was clean and sparkling with a black tile floor and black appliances. The table was even a dark colored wood that looked almost black.

Tired from her little exploring, Hermione went back into Snape's room and curled up on his bed. She didn't think he would mind if she took a nap.

When she awoke, Severus was standing beside the bed.

"I see you've found everything."

"Yes, thank you for letting me come down her."

"Your welcome. You said you wanted to talk to me?"

"Professor Dumbledore doesn't want me to stay alone or do my head girl rounds by myself for a while. I didn't know where else to go so he sent me down her to ask if I could move in with you a little early. If that would be ok?"

"That's fine Hermione. I'd prefer it that way. Now I can keep an eye on you."

Severus slipped off his boots and his cloak. He climbed into bed and put his arms around Hermione. She snuggled into his embrace.

"When I saw you lying there bleeding like that it scared me. I almost lost you Hermione. I don't want to go through that again. I need you to promise me that you will never do that again."

"I promise as long as you promise to always hear what I have to say and not send me away because you misunderstood something."

"I promise to listen better."

They laid there for several minutes before Hermione asked Severus the question she dreaded asking him. "Severus, when Ron was in my room he told me that he and Lavender Brown were getting married tomorrow. He wanted me to attend their wedding and wanted to know if you'll allow the both of them to come to our wedding."

Severus thought long and hard. He didn't want her to go, but he didn't want to seem like the type of husband to control what his wife does. If she really wanted to go she could.

"Yes you may go. Go ahead and invite them to our wedding. In fact when you leave his wedding, if Miss Granger would accompany you, it might be a good time for you to do some wedding shopping. You know napkins, cake, dress, little reception things women go nuts for and stuff in their purses. Make sure you get invitations too. We need to send them out this week."

"Severus. I love you."

Hermione fell asleep on his chest. When he was absolutely sure she was asleep he whispered, "And I you my love." After a few minutes he too was asleep.

* * *

Authors note: Well the next chapter is Lavender and Ron's wedding. I won't tell you too much about it but I'll give you a hint: Something terrible goes wrong with one of Lavender's bridesmaids. And what happens to Ginny and Hermione in Diagon Ally? You'll find out soon! Please be nice and leave a review. I'd love you forever! Love and Brownies to you all! 


	7. Lavender and Ron's Wedding

Rest in Pieces

By JennyRice07

Summary: Read Chapter One

Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did Lilly and Snape would have been married and Harry would be Severus's son.

Author's Note: I really don't like this chapter. Unfortunately I had to write it to get to the next chapter. I would like to know if there is anyone interested in becoming my beta or could explain to me how to get one. My beta is wonderful but he doesn't read a lot of fan fiction. We both think that it would be beneficial if I had a Beta who reads fan fiction also.

Also I'm having some problems with my classes so it may take a little more time to get new chapters posted. I will finish this story so please be patient with me.

For all of my wonderful reviewer's, Love and Brownies to you all!!!!

Chapter 6

Ron and Lavender's Wedding

Hermione was up and dressed for the wedding two hours early. She desperately wanted to become friends with Lavender again. They used to be so close until they had fought over Ron. Hermione considered the Weasley's to be her only family. She didn't want to lose them because she and Lavender couldn't get along.

Severus and Hermione found that Lavender's wedding was taking place at her parents' home. To make things even better, it was only a half hour drive from Severus's home. Severus thought that they should spend the weekend there to get it ready to move into. They would floo there, and then Severus would drive Hermione to Lavender's. Hermione hadn't known until last night that Severus had a driver's license, let alone that he owned a car.

As Severus pulled up to the gates he pulled Hermione in for a quick kiss. "Please be careful today. If you need me I'll be at our house. I won't be at the school. Ok?" Severus was really worried about Hermione going to Diagon Ally with Ginny alone. She had mentioned that she was going to ask Molly Weasley to go with her also. He hoped so.

"I will be careful. I'm sure we'll be fine. Well, if Lavender doesn't try to murder me first." Hermione climbed out of Severus's dark green Ford Explorer. She stood at the gate watching him drive away. She had tried to talk him into going with her but he said he had more important things to do than spend the day with the Weasley's.

Hermione entered the garden at Lavender's house. It had been beautifully decorated for the occasion. She started to walk towards a seat when someone grabbed her. The man pulled Hermione into the house. When he released her, she realized that he was Lavender's older brother Mathew.

"Lavender wants to see you upstairs Hermione!"

Hermione climbed the stairs to the second floor. 'Lavender must be down the hall I hear crying and loud voices', Hermione thought. She knocked on the door and walked in.

The whole room quieted once she entered. Hermione wasn't sure what was going on. Maybe Ron didn't tell Lavender that she was going to be here afterwards. Looking around the room she noticed who all was here. Lavender's mother and Molly Weasley were in the corner looking out at the garden. Parvati Patil was wearing a lovely yellow dress. There was a slit in the side that rose to her knee. She was finishing Lavender's hair. Ginny Weasley and Hannah Abbott were in beautiful pink dresses beside of Lavender who seemed to be bailing her eyes out.

"Hermione I'm so glad you're here!" Lavender motioned for Hermione to come close to her. "Hermione I need a favor. I've never asked anything this big from anyone before. My cousin Sasha was supposed to be one of my bridesmaids. She just called to tell me that her plane had been turned around due to bad weather. Hermione, Sasha is really tiny like you. Could you please take her place? You're small enough to fit the dress."

Parvati finished Lavender's hair and mentioned something about flowers before she left the room. They had never been friends. In fact during second year when Parvati had told everyone that she thought that Harry was the heir of Slytherin Hermione and she had fought. Lavender and Katie Bell had pulled her off Parvati. They had never forgiven each other for that incident.

"Oh Lavender! Of course I'll be one of your bridesmaids." Lavender laughed and slung her arms around Hermione's neck.

"Hermione I heard you were getting married next week. Is that true?" Hannah asked.

"Yes Hannah I am. I want you all to come. Ginny I want you to be my Maid- of- honor. Hannah and Lavender, I'd love it if you guys would be my bridesmaids."

"Of course I'll be one of your bridesmaids Hermione! You've helped me out of a huge problem!"

"Oh Hermione I'd love to be your bridesmaid!"

"You're not going to stick me in some hideous color dress like orange or brown are you?"

Everyone laughed. Leave it to Ginny to make jokes of everything.

It was about 10 minutes until the wedding was supposed to start. Molly had done Hermione's hair. The dress fit perfect. It was a little too big, but it wasn't enough to matter.

Just before the ceremony started Hermione was able to get Molly alone.

"Molly, I need a favor. My wedding to Severus is next Friday Molly. I haven't started planning anything. I don't have the slightest idea about planning a wedding. My mother was really good at that stuff. I always thought that she would take care of everything for me. We used to talk about the different things we were going to do. The thing is Molly, you're the closest person to a mother that I have now. I know it's a lot to ask but do you think you could help me decorate my wedding?"

"Oh Hermione of course I will. I'm really sad that things between you and Ron didn't work out. We still consider you as part of the family you know. If you need anything at all let me know."

"Thank you Molly! Severus is a little concerned about Ginny and I going to Diagon Ally alone today. Do you think you could go with us after the wedding? Besides I know nothing about weddings. I know you have to get napkins and plates and cake toppers and all that wonderful stuff."

"Of course darling."

The wedding was a dream. The flower girls lead the way leaving a trail of red rose petals down the aisle. Parvati was escorted first by Harry. It was very clear why she had snuck away shortly after Hermione had arrived. The slit that was cut to her knee had been expanded. It was now reviling part of her thigh. This didn't surprise anyone. Parvati had a reputation of showing skin. Ginny was escorted by Fred to the altar. You could tell that Ginny was not happy with the fact that Harry had to escort Parvati instead of her but Harry was after all, Ron's best man. Hannah was escorted by George. Finally it was her turn. She was very glad that it was Neville that escorted her. She took her place beside of Hannah. Ron looked surprised to see her but didn't say anything. She smiled at him.

Lavender was escorted down the aisle by her father. Her dress was beautiful. It was Ivory and had a slit up to her knee. When the wedding march finished Lavender's father gave her away. Ron and Lavender said their vows and shared a sweet kiss.

At the reception Ron hunted for Hermione. He found her talking to Ginny.

"Ok first off, Thanks for coming Hermione. It means a lot to me. Second, thanks for filling in for Sasha."

"It was no big deal Ron."

"Actually it was. Sasha is really little and we couldn't find anyone to fit the dress." Ginny always had a remark about something.

"Anyway I have to get back to Lavender. You ladies enjoy yourself." Ron walked off leaving Hermione, Ginny, and Hannah, who had joined them, alone.

"Ok guys be honest. Lavender didn't want me in the wedding did she?"

"Well I wouldn't say that Hermione!"

"Hannah I want the truth."

Ginny and Hannah both looked at the floor. Finally after a long silence Ginny spoke up.

"She didn't want you here at all. She and Ron had a big fight over it. Then when Sasha called we needed someone to fill in. Mom suggested you because you were so small. Lavender said no at first. She went all hysterical. I think when she realized it was you or no one she just gave in. That's why she was crying."

"I figured as much." Hermione took a drink of punch and leaned back in her chair.

"Say Hermione, you never told us who you were marrying." Hannah and Ginny were both staring at her now. Hermione couldn't believe she hadn't told Ginny. She told Ginny everything.

"Yes Hermione, who are you getting married too?" Lavender had walked back to see what they were up to. Now all three girls were asking her.

"Ok guys you have to promise not to laugh or make any comments."

"We promise."

"Ok, I'm marrying Severus Snape next Friday."

Hermione didn't think that Hannah's mouth could drop any farther.

"Are you serious Hermione?"

"Yes Hannah, I'm very serious."

"Well now that we know, Hermione would you mind if I had a word with you in private?" Lavender gestured toward the house.

"Yea sure."

Hermione and Lavender scampered up to Lavenders old bedroom. When they were alone Lavender shut the door and cast a silencing charm on it. Then she rounded on Hermione.

"Ok Hermione here's the thing; there are rumors that you cut yourself so bad over Ron marrying me that you almost died the other night. I want to make it clear that Ron is now off limits. Understand?"

Hermione didn't like that fact that Lavender was threatening her about something that Lavender didn't even know anything about.

"Ok Lavender, the first thing is that Ron and I are finished. We've been finished. I'm engaged and marrying Severus. The second thing is yes I did end up in the hospital because I cut myself. It wasn't because of Ron though. Well it was but it wasn't. Severus found out that Ron was on my list of suitors. He though that because we were such good friends that I would leave him for Ron. He told me to leave and never come back. I couldn't stand the thought of losing Severus. So you see it had nothing to do with Ron. Happy now?" Hermione had purposely left the part about Ron visiting her room out. She wanted to become friends with Lavender.

"Why were you afraid of losing Snape? If I were you I'd have requested a change a long time ago."

Hermione took a deep breath and sat on Lavender's bed. If she told Lavender then at least one person knew.

"Lavender we used to be good friends right. I want us to be friends again. Can I trust you to keep a secret? I haven't even told Ginny yet."

"Are you pregnant or something?" Lavender was looking at her disgusted. Hermione could guess why. She and Severus weren't married. A student sleeping with a teacher was a disgusting image.

"No I'm not pregnant. I don't even know if I can have kids now!" Hermione felt the tears come. Now that she knew she loved him she desperately wanted to give him a baby. She didn't know if she could do that though. That ability might be gone forever.

"Why is that?" Lavender demanded.

"Ron hasn't told you?" Hermione just kept staring at the floor.

"He told me that you were pregnant and that he wreaked and you went through the windshield and lost the baby."

"There was some sever damage Lavender!"

"Oh!"

"Anyway, I couldn't stand to lose him because I love him Lavender! I love him more than anything. I've never had anyone treat me so nice. I've never had anyone that made me feel so wanted before."

"Wow that's intense."

"Yea. I'm glad someone knows now. If feels good to get stuff off my chest."

"Hermione you want to be friends again right?"

"Well yes."

"Ron's drinking a lot. Hermione was he drunk when he wreaked?"

"Yes."

"Did he ever hit you when he was drinking?"

Hermione paused. She had never told anyone. She didn't want Ron to be labeled as an abusive person. If she told Lavender she knew it would change everything. However, Lavender had asked and she didn't want to lie to her. "Yes Lavender. He did hit me when he was really drunk."

Hermione could see Lavender swallow. She sat on the bed next to Hermione and rubbed her hands together. She didn't look up, but just continued to stare at the floor. Finally after what seemed like forever she spoke.

"You know this law states that you can't divorce and that you have to have a baby within one year. Hermione last week when we were making the wedding plans he was really drunk. He shoved me backwards against the stove. That's why I choose to wear gloves," Lavender held up her hands to show the white gloves that she had on, "My hand landed on the hot eye. It burnt all the skin off the palm. I was able to heal most of it, but I've never been the best at healing spells. I couldn't find a way to get rid of the scars. Hermione what if he starts drinking and hits me when I'm pregnant? What if it causes me to lose the baby? I'm not strong like you. I don't think I can stand that."

Lavender had burst into tears. Hermione wrapped her arms around Lavender.

"Lavender I hope for your sake he stops drinking. And I'll say this; if you need me you know where to find me. Now let me see your hand and I'll do what I can to get rid of those scars."

"Oh Hermione I'm glad we're friends again. I've missed you!" Lavender cried as she embraced Hermione.

The rest of the wedding reception went beautifully. Hermione had caught the bouquet

"Ok Hermione do you know what colors you want to go with?"

"No I don't have a clue."

"How about gold and scarlet?" Ginny asked.

"Or Green and Scarlet" Hannah replied.

"Green and Scarlet, what kind of wedding would that be?"

"Ok girls. I want something Severus is going to like too. If it has anything to do with Gryffindor then he won't like it."

All of them laughed. Finally it was Molly that broke the silence, "Hermione I'm going to go buy your wedding announcements darling. I'll meet up with you three in a while." Then Molly took off down the street.

Hermione, Ginny, and Hannah strode down the cobblestone street looking at the different shops. Every now one of them would drag the other two into a store. When they reached "Wanda's Formal Dresses and More" they stopped. As they entered, Hermione could see another girl being fitted for a wedding dress. The girl was crying. As she walked a little closer she realized why.

Draco was standing beside Madam Wanda as she showed the girl a wide variety of dresses. "That one will make her look fat. That one will make her look old. This one is hideous. She'll show her fat roles in one like that. Honestly woman! Don't you have any magic dresses to make fat and ugly girls look skinny and beautiful. I don't want to look bad exchanging vowels with a fat and ugly pig! I want a dress that comes with a veil to. I want to cover those ugly scars on her face."

Hermione didn't understand what he was on about. The girl was as small as Hermione. In fact she looked a lot skinnier if that was possible. Then Hermione saw the girls face and all her sympathy faded.

When Marietta Edgecombe betrayed the DA to Umbridge, Hermione's tattle jinx was activated. The jinx left the tattletale with huge purple pimples that formed the word sneak. The pimples had vanished but they left a scar on her face that would forever proclaim her as a traitor.

Suddenly Malfoy spotted Hermione, "Well what do we have here! Snape's new toy out to look for a dress. It doesn't matter what you wear, he's going to make you wish you were never born. At least that was what he told father last night at the Leaky Cauldron."

"You fucking git! Leave Hermione alone. Severus adores her. He wouldn't do something like that." Ginny yelled from the front of the store where she was looking at the Bridesmaids dresses.

"NO BODY ASKED YOUR OPINION WEASLEY!!!" Malfoy was very pissed off. His face had turned an interesting color of red.

"Hermione don't listen to him. You know Snape adores you. He worries himself sick about you. Remember when you were in the hospital wing. He never left your side."

"Yea he was afraid of Granger ruining his image by killing herself." Malfoy's laugh was one of pure evil and wickedness, "Come on Marietta. We're leaving."

They finished their shopping quickly and Hermione flooed back to Severus's house. She hadn't told Ginny but Severus had been out last night. She just didn't know he'd been with Lucius Malfoy.

"Hello Mione how was the shopping?" Severus greeted her from his recliner in the sitting room.

"We had a little run in with Draco. He seems to think you to think you're planning to make me wish I was never born." Hermione could feel the tears but she wasn't about to let Severus see how much she was hurt.

"Hermione, why would I do something like that?" Severus asked her.

"Why did you go to the Leaky Cauldron with Lucius Malfoy last night?" Hermione continued to stare at the carpet. It was old and stained. That was one of the first things she sought to change. Now she wasn't sure anything would change if what Draco said was true.

"Hermione I never went to the Leaky Cauldron last night. I had to deliver Remus Lupin's wolfsbane potion. Tomorrow's the full moon. I'd have told you if I was going to the pub."

Hermione let out a sigh. She had forgotten about Lupin. She felt so guilty about being worked up that she could no longer hold the tears back.

"Mione I'm sorry that he upset you. You should have known by now that he's a lieing scum bag." Severus stood and put his arms around Hermione, "Come on sweetheart. Let's go to bed."

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Authors Note: Tomorrow's chapter is the wedding. I know this wasn't the best chapter but it was a necessary one for future chapters. Please be patient with me. Also my Beta is reading this chapter so if anyone finds any mistakes please let me know. As always Love and Brownies to you all. 


	8. The Wedding!

Rest in Pieces

By JennyRice07

Summary: This is the wedding chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing! The song lyrics are from I'll Be by Edwin McCain. This is mine and my fiancée's song. I hope you like it!

WARNING: This is the wedding chapter. Hence the honeymoon. Hence what happens on a honeymoon. You have been warned!

Announcement: I need a Beta reader badly!!! Can anyone tell me how to get one!! I would love you forever. Love and Brownies to all my readers.

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Chapter 7

The Wedding!

Today was her wedding. She was so nervous. Dumbledore permitted her to stay in the Head Girl's rooms last night. He claimed it was a tradition that the bride and groom not see each other for 24 hours before the wedding. After staying with Severus for almost 2 weeks, a night without him was almost unbearable. Her clock said 6:30 AM.

Hermione couldn't get out of bed. She was so scared of Severus changing his mind when he saw her. She didn't know why because she knew he wouldn't do that.

The wedding was taking place at Spinner's End. They had decided on the location because it was where they were going to live. They had stayed there the weekend of Lavender and Ron's wedding. It wasn't big, but it wasn't tiny either. Hermione had decided that she was ripping out the old carpets and repainting the walls. Severus was also permitting her to buy new furniture for the entire house. They had plenty of room if they had kids. If being the big word. Hermione didn't tell anyone, not even Severus, but she was so afraid of not being able to have a baby that she couldn't sleep at night.

Hermione heard someone banging on her door. Before she could get up to answer it Ginny burst into her room. "Come on sleepy head. We have to get you ready for your wedding!"

"I can't Ginny. I'm scared." Hermione ducked her head under the covers.

"Scarred? Of what?"

"Ginny if you could give Hermione and me a moment alone and I'll bring her with me through the Floo network."

"Mom!"

"Ginny honey, just go ok!"

Hermione heard Ginny leave. She was alone with Molly. Molly walked over and sat on her bed. Hermione didn't realize she was crying until then.

"Molly I'm so scarred. What if he changes his mind when he sees me? What if things don't work out between us? What if I can't have a baby?" Hermione didn't mean for that last bit to slip out. Now that someone knew her secret Hermione couldn't stop her tears.

"Oh honey! You're getting married. Everyone goes through the same thoughts you're going through right now. Severus will not change his mind. He's a good man Hermione. He really cares about you."

"But what if he doesn't? What if after we're together for two weeks he realizes that he's made a mistake? What if he hates me for it?"

"Hermione I'm going to give you a bit of advice my mother gave to me on my wedding day. Marriage isn't all flowers and candy. You'll learn things about each other as you go. When to shut up, when to speak up, when to ask for help, when to say you've had enough, when to step in, when to back out, and when to stop worrying. Miracles happen when you ask for them. They just don't happen when or as fast as you expect them too. Some miracles take time and patience. Some miracles happen before you're ready for them. Some miracles happen before you even ask, you just don't know it yet. The point is that all things happen for a reason and have a purpose. No one knows what tomorrow will bring."

"That's really good advice Molly."

"Yes it was. I've used her advice so many times over the years. Especially the patience part," Molly paused then added thoughtfully, "with the twins mostly."

Molly stood up and clapped her hands, "Now let's get you up and dressed."

Severus stood in the headmaster's room arguing his point for what seemed like the hundredth time today. "Headmaster do you not realize how dangerous it will be if Lucius plans that attack on Diagon Ally? Albus he's already rallied up all the remaining ex death eaters."

"Severus the order already has a plan in place for such an event. Now stop worrying. Besides don't you have a wedding to get ready for? Enjoy your big day and let Kingsley worry about Lucius Malfoy!"

"Albus you're an old fool!"

"Be that as it may. You have only an hour to get ready."

Severus cursed as he flooed to his rooms.

Several hours later Hermione stood in front of a full length mirror in what would become she and Severus's bedroom. Her dress was beautiful. It was a strapless ivory dress with a flattering side-drape detail. It was made of rich satin fabric with gorgeous embroidery at the neckline and side drape. A runching detail accentuates the waist for a slimming look, (not that she needed one!) It was complete will a veil. Her bouquet was made of white, light blue and lilac roses.

Ginny was beautiful in pool blue dress. The dress was strapless with a beaded bodice and cascade front. Lavender, Tonks, and Hannah were beautiful in lilac dresses. There dresses where satin corset-back ball gowns with ruched sweetheart necklines. She had planed her wedding around her mother and fathers favorite colors. The colors went beautifully together. She just hoped Severus thought so.

"Hermione it's time are you ready?" Molly asked from the doorway.

"Yes I'm ready!"

The music started and the flower girls walked down the aisle leaving blue and purple flower petals. Ginny was escorted by Remus Lupin. Tonks was escorted by Harry. Lavender was escorted by Kingsley Shacklebolt. Hannah was escorted by another member of the order that Hermione didn't know.

Hermione took a deep breath. "Hermione are you ready?" asked Author Weasley. He was escorting her down the aisle and giving her away. He was like a father too her anyway.

"Ready as I'll ever be!"

The wedding march began to play. Hermione and Arthur linked arms. They started to walk down the aisle. It was autumn and leaves were falling everywhere. Hermione could have sworn that her mother and father were there with her. She looked up to the front of the aisle and saw him. He was handsome in his tux. He was looking at her with a slight smile. God she loved him. The aisle seemed so long but finally she reached the alter.

Arthur gave her away and she locked hands with Severus. She noticed that his eyes were glistening with tears. She smiled at him and he smiled back.

They said their vowels and exchanged rings. "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." Albus announced.

Severus lifted Hermione's veil. Then he bent his head and claimed Hermione's lips. She was his forever and he wanted everyone to know. They broke apart hand in hand and turned to face the crowd.

"I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Severus Snape." Hermione and Severus exited up the aisle together after a few pictures were taken. Hermione's idea of course!

The garden of Spinner's end was not only the wedding but it was also large enough to be the reception too. Mrs. Weasley had outdone herself. There were blue and purple flowers everywhere. Many tables had been placed in the garden and decorated accordingly. The cake was triple layered. It was decorated with purple and blue flowers. The cake toppers were charmed to look like Severus and Hermione. The food was excellent as well. There were chocolate covered strawberries and fruit trays. Different little finger foods.

Hermione and Severus walked around for hours greeting guest and getting reacquainted with some old friends. They cut their cake and fed each other the first bite. Then they toasted their wedding with firewhiskey.

Once it was dark, it was time for their first dance. Little balls of light had been charmed to hang in the sky above the reception to light the garden. A crowd gathered around Severus and Hermione. As the music started to play Severus gathered Hermione in his arms and they danced.

The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful Stop me and steal my breath Emeralds from mountains thrust toward the sky Never revealing their depth Tell me that we belong together Dress it up with the trappings of love I'll be captivated I'll hang from your lips Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above

I'll be your crying shoulder I'll be your love suicide and I'll be better when I'm older I'll be the greatest fan of your life

Rain falls angry on the tin roof As we lie awake in my bed You're my survival, you're my living proof My love is alive not dead Tell me that we belong together Dress it up with the trappings of love I'll be captivated I'll hang from your lips Instead of the gallows of heartache, that hang from above

I'll be your crying shoulder I'll be your love suicide and I'll be better when I'm older I'll be the greatest fan of your life

I've been dropped out, burned up, fought my way back from the dead Tuned in, turned on, Remembered the things that you said

I'll be your crying shoulder I'll be your love suicide and I'll be better when I'm older I'll be the greatest fan of your life

When the song finished everyone clapped and joined in at the next song. The rest of the reception went quickly.

Hermione threw her boutique and Ginny caught it. Then when Severus snapped the garter Harry caught it.

Severus and Hermione decided to spend their first week in the United States. They had booked a honeymoon suit in Dayton Beach, Florida. After a week they would return to Spinner's End. They would spend that remaining week getting the house ready to live in. They were completely redecorating it. They would then make a permanent connection between it and Hogwarts. That way they could live at their house and still teach and go to school.

Severus had sent their luggage to the hotel that morning. Now he gathered Hermione in his arms as the crowd cheered. He apparated away. He reappeared at the Hilton. He checked them in then carried Hermione into their room. It was beautiful. Complete with a Hot tub.

Severus sat Hermione on her feet.

"I'm glad that we're alone now. I think I've had enough people for the next two weeks." Hermione said with a sigh as she collapsed onto the bed.

"It wasn't that bad!" Severus laughed. He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled his shoes off.

"What time did you get up this morning?" Hermione asked.

"9:00 and the wedding started at noon."

She couldn't help laughing. "I was being pulled out of bed at 6:30 by Molly and Ginny." Hermione paused, "Did you like everything?"

"It was wonderful. Beautiful too! You were beautiful. I couldn't take my eyes off you. Tell me where did you come up with the idea of light blue and lilac?" Severus smiled at her.

Hermione frowned and looked at the floor.

"Lilac was mom's favorite color and light blue was dads. I wish they were here to see this. When I was walking down the aisle with Arthur, I could have sworn that I sensed them both. My mother used to dream of planning my wedding. I miss them. " Hermione's eyes had filled just by mentioning her mother and father.

"They were here Mione." Severus stated.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione was beginning to think she'd married a crazy man.

Severus reached out and put his hand over where her heart would be, "They were right here the whole time Mione. They always are!"

Hermione leaned over and kissed him. He groaned and gave into her kiss. Somehow her arms ended up wound around his neck and his around her middle. They broke apart their kiss but stayed embraced.

Severus just held Hermione to his chest. "Are you ready to sleep?" he asked her.

Hermione looked up at his in shock. It was her marriage night and he was asking her if she wanted to sleep! "Sleep! I'm not tired. In fact Mr. Snape tonight is my wedding night. I think sleep is the last thing on my mind."

Hermione stood and walked over to the dresser. Severus stood and pulled her towards him. In one swift move he captured her lips in his. It was then that it occurred to him that she was still in her wedding dress. Severus unzipped Hermione's dress. The soft fabric fell to the floor. It happened so quickly that it startled Hermione and she wrapped her arms around herself before she realized what she was doing.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize that the dress would come off that quick!"

Severus laughed as he kissed her neck. Hermione turned and started on his clothing. He'd already taken his jacket off so she just slipped the vest and undershirt off. She reached for his belt and pulled it lose before he stopped her and carried her to the bed.

Severus unhooked Hermione's strapless. She was aware that she was now lying in a bed with only her panties on. Hermione unbuttoned Severus's pants. He was only wearing a pair of black cotton boxer shorts. Hermione reached for the waistband of the boxers and slowly freed his aching member.

Hermione had done something for Ron so many times she'd lost track. It dawned on her that she had never pleasured Severus like that. After she had his boxers off, she wrapped her hand around his member. She stroked it up and down. Severus let out a groan as he sank into the bed. Hermione decided to be even braver as she took his member into her mouth and sucked gently. She had the reaction she had hoped for. Severus moaned her name and gasped. After a few minutes Severus grabbed her and laid her on her back. He pulled away her panties and rubbed her in just the right spot.

Ron had never done this for her before. There was so much pleasure that Hermione thought she would bust. Sev inserted a finger into her core. She was so wet and tight. It took everything not to take her right there. He wanted to but he had to prepare her first. Every moan and gasp drew him that much closer. Finally he bent his head to kiss her labia.

"Oh God Sev…Oh god when you do …..Ahh…when you do that it feels…oh Sev…" He had her squirming now.

"Do you want me Hermione?"

"Gods yes! More than anything."

Severus placed himself at her entrance. He slid into her gently. He didn't want to hurt her so he held it there for a few seconds. Then he started to move.

"Oh God Sev. You feel so good."

After a few minutes Hermione reached her release and screamed. Feeling her contract around him caused Sev to reach his climax. He emptied his seed inside her with a shout and they fell into the stars gasping each other's names.

Hermione and Severus held hands as they walked down the beach. They watched as a dolphin jumped out of the water. Several people seemed to think it was a shark. Parents pulled children out of the water. Hermione laughed.

Hermione watched as a little boy about nine or ten threw a wooden board along the water's edge. He chased the board then jumped on it. She giggled as he went for a ride. They watched as he did this again and again. Then the little boy jumped and fell off the board. He came down on his ankle. Immediately he started screaming. Hermione could see the bone sticking out of his ankle.

Severus helped another gentleman carry the little boy away from the water as the lifeguard called for an ambulance. They were very careful not to disturb the little boy's ankle.

Hermione wished that she wasn't in a muggle community because it hurt her knowing that she could mend the little boy's ankle in a second but wasn't allowed too.

Severus and Hermione had a wonderful week. They ended up renting an ATV for an hour. They went parasailing, took long walks, spent hours in the ocean and pool. At night they ate at nice restaurants, went mini golfing and go carting. Hermione never laughed as hard as she did when Severus tried his luck at the batting cages. He just couldn't figure out what muggles thought was amusing about trying to hit a ball that was being hurled at you with a metal stick!

They went to Orlando on their next to last day. They finally decided on Universal Studio's instead of Disney world. They loved the rides "Back to the Future" and "Earthquake". Severus even thought that "ET" was ok. It just seemed to him like riding a broom.

On the last day, they remained on the beach. They did some souvenir shopping. Hermione bought Ginny an airbrushed Sand-Dollar and had herself a t-shirt made that said Hermione and Severus. When she was away from Severus she bought a baby onesie that said Daytona Beach Florida. Even though she still didn't know if she could have kids she wanted to have something from Daytona to give her baby if she had one.

They flooed back to Spinner's End on Friday. They spent that week ripping out carpets and repainting walls. They had new carpets installed and new furniture. They house looked new when they were finished with it.

Living with Severus was amazing. They found interest that they didn't know they had. They both loved to read American classic muggle books such as "Gone with the Wind". Hermione was happier now than she had ever been. There was just one thing she needed to find out.

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Authors Note: I understand that around the time this would have taken place, the Hilton was called the Adam's Mark. In the next chapter Hermione visits St. Mungo's. I'll have it posted as soon as I can. Please be nice and review. Also report any mistakes you find. Thanks. As always Love and Brownies to you all! 


	9. Amendments

Rest in Pieces

By JennyRice07

Summary: This chapter sums up most of the Hogwarts year.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

I still need a Beta reader. HELP!!!

Chapter 8

Amendment

Hermione walked into St. Mungo's alone. Severus had to teach. They had been back at Hogwarts for about a month and the weather was starting to turn cold.

Hermione walked up to the reception desk.

"May I help you?"

"I'd like to see a healer about an injury I sustained a few years back."

"Ok have a seat in room number 3 and Healer Kirsten will be with you momentarily."

Hermione sat in the exam room and waited. The last time she was here was when she had lost her baby. Healer Kirsten was the healer that treated her then too!

The Healer entered the room after what seemed like an hour. "Hello Mrs. Snape. What can I do for you today?"

"Hello Healer Kirsten. You may remember me from a while back when I was brought in after a car accident."

"Ah yes. I remember. You were the girl that went through the windshield and wrapped around a tree."

"Yes. I wanted to see if my uterus has healed. I really want a baby."

"Ok Mrs. Snape. I need you to lie back on the table and let me exam you."

The Mediwitch examined her. Finally she spoke up, "Ok Mrs. Snape the official results will be owled to you in a few days. I will say this from what I saw; it doesn't look good."

Hermione left St. Mungo's scared to death. She hadn't realized how close she was to not having a baby.

Hermione and Severus had been over it a hundred times. If they couldn't have a baby they would try to adopt a magical baby or just not have kids. Severus tried to act like it wasn't a big deal. He did want a baby, but he didn't want Hermione to be so upset.

It was three days after Hermione's appointment as the couple ate dinner at Spinner's End. Hermione heard a pecking noise and quickly turned to let the owl in. She untied the letter and the owl swopped off. She unwound the letter and read aloud:

_Dear Mrs. Hermione Snape;_

_We have received your test results and directly copied them to you. The injury has not healed. While pregnancy is not 100 impossible it is very unlikely. Only 1 person with this injury has ever had a successful pregnancy and even she was only able to have one baby._

_If you suspect pregnancy at any time, please visit us at St. Mungo's. It could mean the difference in a healthy baby and a miscarriage. _

_Have a nice day:_

_St. Mungo's Hospital_

Hermione felt the tears streaming down her face. She knew that she might not be able to have children, but she had never come to terms with this fact. She dropped the paper to the floor.

Severus wrapped his arms around her and held her too him. She sobbed until she was out of tears. His shirt was soaked but he didn't care. They just stood there in silence. Finally they went to bed without saying a word.

_Several Months later;_

Hermione finished up her last N.E.W.T. exam. The year went by rather too quickly. Graduation was in less than two weeks. Professor Dumbledore had given her the Muggle Studies job next year until Professor McGonagall retired in two years then Hermione would accept the job teaching Transfiguration. She was fairly gifted at the subject. She would also be the Head of Gryffindor house when McGonagall stepped down.

He was also allowing her to leave Hogwarts three times a week to continue her education.

Lavender had announced two weeks ago that she and Ron were expecting a baby. Hermione couldn't be happier for her. Ron had stopped drinking and Hermione couldn't have been prouder. As happy as she was it still hurt that she couldn't have a baby of her own. She'd come to terms with that fact months ago but it still broke her heart to know that she couldn't give Severus a baby.

Ginny and Harry were getting married in a month. Ginny turned 17 today so they were throwing her a birthday/bachelorette party tonight. Hermione and Lavender were in charge. Because of some suspected ex-death eater attacks they were having a small get together.

As Hermione arrived at the Weasley's she noticed that even for a small ceremony it was a lot bigger than her own. There were a lot more guests than she had expected. Lavender, Fleur, Tonks, Hannah, Parvati, Charlie's girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater (who was back together with Percy), Luna, Aunt Muriel, and there were more girls from Ginny's class. They had all given her nice presents too. They were stacked to the ceiling in the living room. Hermione put her presents in the corner with the rest of them.

The party went wonderfully. After all the guest left, Hermione sat in the kitchen with Molly and Ginny.

"Did you read the new amendment to the marriage law?" Ginny asked as she finished putting up the last dish from the sink. She turned and leaned on the sink.

"No I haven't." Hermione replied as she pulled the paper closer to read the article.

_The ministry has made a new amendment to the marriage law. If any witch __cannot__ conceive and bare children her husband has the option of divorcing her. __He must first appeal the marriage to the ministry, __and then__ a medical examination is preformed on the witch. If the witch is said to be infertile the man may then proceed to divorce her and marry a new witch. The divorced witch with then be put on a list and remarried to a wizard who cannot produce children. _

_This amendment is only optional. It must be the __wizard's__ choice…_

Hermione couldn't read anymore. She bid Ginny and Molly a good night and flooed home. Severus was sitting in their sitting room reading the paper. He looked up as she walked in. Hermione took off her robe and hung it on the coat rack by the door. She turned and looked at him with her hands on her hips.

"Did you read the article?" she questioned him. Her brown eyes were burning into his. She took a few steps and found herself standing right in front of him. She wasn't sure why but she had this intense anger.

"Which one dearest?" Severus looked at her puzzled.

"The one about the amendment." Hermione took a deep breath and shut her eyes. She wasn't going to cry. She wasn't!

"Yes. I read it. What about it?" His black eyes pierced her brown ones. He wasn't sure why but he could see the tears brimming in her eyes.

"I guess you're going to appeal the marriage now. I know you didn't want to be married to me anyways!" Hermione had to stop and take a breath. She wasn't going to cry. It wasn't like she was so madly in love with him that she couldn't live without him. She was forced into this marriage after all. It wasn't her choice.

"What are you talking about?" Severus folded the paper and set it aside. He motioned for her to sit beside him. He was curious as to what brought about this range of thought.

"I can't have children. You didn't want to be in this marriage in the first place. You can appeal the marriage now. You can move on and have babies. Why would you stay with me?" She set with her hands in her lap. Her voice was breaking and giving away how she really felt.

"Why would you think that I wanted a different wife? I've told you how I felt about _our_ situation." He emphasized the word our hoping to get his point across to her. He had no plans of leaving her.

"I know you didn't want to be with me. Now you have the option of being free to find someone else. I'm still the know-it-all mudblood from hell!"

Severus jumped up and swore, "Damn it Hermione! You think that after all these months that I haven't grown close to you? Do you think I let you completely redo the whole house if I had plans of leaving you?"

Hermione just sat on the couch with her head down, "We redid the house before we knew I couldn't get pregnant! I understand if you want to leave me. I won't blame you!"

Severus slammed his fist into the wall causing the room to shake slightly. The plaster gave way leaving a fist sized hole in the wall. Severus swore and leaned his forehead against the wall for a few seconds before he turned and strolled over to Hermione. He dropped to his knees and took her hands into his own. Hermione looked at him puzzled.

"Hermione, I have no plans of leaving you. I've told you that kids aren't the most important thing to me. Being with someone I can relate to and someone I can care about are. Hermione over the last few months I've grown to love you! Maybe it's not the head over heels in love, but it is love. I love you Hermione!"

He took a breath and continued on, "Do you understand now why I don't want to leave you. I knew when they made this law that they would eventually make this amendment. And you did tell me before I agreed to marry you. Don't you remember? Hermione you can trust me on this, I'm not going anywhere. Do you hear me? I AM NOT GOING ANYWHERE! I'm not appealing this marriage. I'm not getting married to anyone else. It's you that I want Hermione. You and only you! Do you understand?"

Hermione couldn't say anything. She could feel the tears in her eyes so she turned her head away with a whimper.

Severus dropped her hands and walked into the kitchen. He slammed his fist down on the table with the single word, "FUCK!" He collapsed in one of the chairs and hung his head. He could feel the tears forming in his eyes. He hardly ever cried and hated doing so. He could remember his father beating him for crying with he was just a boy. He had never wanted children because he was so afraid of being like his father. He wouldn't say that he was relieved when Hermione had found that she couldn't have a baby. He hated it for the pain that she was going through. He had held her and whispered to her. He had dealt with her month's depression. But now she was telling him that she wanted him to divorce her because she couldn't have a baby! That was just too much.

Hermione sat on the couch realizing that she had messed up. She should have told him that she loved him. She should have wrapped her arms around him. She stood to follow him into the kitchen when she heard him scream the "F" word and hit the table. She stood there for several minutes unsure of how to approach him. Finally she decided that it didn't matter but she did have to tell him. She gathered her courage and walked into the kitchen.

Severus raised his head and looked at the wall in front of him. Then he spoke and nearly broke Hermione's heart, "Hermione, I didn't have the nicest childhood. My parents married because my mum was pregnant. They never liked each other and fought constantly. My father never wanted me. He made that very clear when he would beat mum and me. I decided a long time ago that I never wanted kids because I was afraid that I would turn out like my father. Just because you are married and have kids doesn't mean that everything is ok. I don't want any children of mine to grow up knowing that mum and dad hate each other and the only reason they have to be miserable is because of them." He turned and met her eyes. "I know that if we had children that we would be fine but for me to have children with someone that I don't know. Hermione I can't lose you. I…I need you. Please don't ask me to ever do this. Please never ask me again!"

Hermione took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around him. He leaned into her embrace and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you too Severus. I just wanted you to be happy. You don't know how much it means to me to hear you say that you'd rather be with me than have children with someone else."

Hermione looked down at him. He stared into her eyes for a long time. Finally he raised his head and took her lips with his. She gave in to his kiss and opened her mouth for his tongue to explore hers. They remained that way for some time. Two lovers kissing in their kitchen. Finally Severus gathered Hermione in his arms and carried her to bed.

He laid her on the bed and lay down beside her. He kissed her again then paused. He looked down at her before he made the final statement of the day, "Besides they said that pregnancy was unlikely. They never said it was impossible. Maybe we'll get lucky!" Afterwards the only sounds that could be heard were gasps, moans, and the occasional whispers before they collapsed into a world of complete bliss.

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Author's note: Midterms are this week so I don't know when the next chapter will be up. I no longer have a beta so if anyone finds any mistakes please let me know. Please Review. As always Love and Brownies to all of my nice reviewer's. 


	10. Anniversary

Rest in Pieces

By JennyRice07

Summary: Surprises all around in this chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's note: I want to thank Darque Hart for pointing out a few of my mistakes. I am reposting this chapter after correcting the error's that were pointed out. I hope the corrections sum up any confusion. There was a paragraph that accidently was erased. I put it back so it should make more sense. If anyone finds anymore mistakes with this chapter let me know! Love and Brownies to you all!

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Chapter 9

Anniversary

_Sometime around 4 ½ years later_

Hermione stared at the clock on her nightstand then back to the fire. 11:56. She felt like she'd already tossed and turned all night. She wanted morning to come soon! She hadn't slept right in days. She turned and looked at Severus. He was lying on his side with his back to her. She knew he wasn't sleeping. They had argued for weeks. Tonight had been different though. He'd come home late after a detention with a 4th year Gryffindor and nagged her about everything. They had ended up in a yelling match that ended with him making a rude comment about her not having a baby. Hermione had started crying and ran to the bedroom.

11:58. She wasn't sure why they were arguing so much lately. There had been several ex death eater attacks on random communities and families. In order to remain a spy, Severus had to participate. After these attacks had started, he would come home moody and even bitter towards her. It was getting progressively worse and had finally progressed into this. It was the night before their 5th wedding anniversary and they weren't talking.

12:00. Hermione rolled on her back and stared at the ceiling. She could remember their last 4 anniversaries. They would lie awake in each other's arms and watch the clock tick just to say Happy Anniversary.

Hermione stared at the fireplace and wondered how they had come to this when she heard his soft whispered words, "Happy Anniversary Mione."

Hermione rolled over to face Severus, but he wasn't looking at her. She rolled back over whispering the words, "Happy Anniversary Sev." Although happy it would not be!

Hermione and Ginny pulled their cloaks around them tighter, as the strolled down Diagon Alley. The broken cobblestones shifted under their feet. It was truly a heartbreaking sight. So many shops had been closed. People had been run out of business by Lucius and his Death Eater friends, and the ones that hadn't were losing money because all the business had been driven away. Five years ago the Alley was flourishing. Now there was hardly anything left. Since Voldemort was no longer alive, Lucius had taken over with the vow to rid the world of anyone who was muggle born. He and his supporters had already taken over the ministry. It was a wonder that Hogwarts was still safe.

Hermione and Ginny would sneak once a week to Lola's Café for a drink with Hannah and Lavender. Sometimes others would join them such as Tonks or Cho Chang. Today it was just going to be the four of them.

It was only October but the cold weather had set in quickly this year. They were in the middle of a cold spell. The temperature barley rose above freezing. Hermione opened the door and was surprised to see that the shop was freezing. She couldn't hear what Lavender had asked Lola, but she heard Lola's response and it answered many questions she had wondered about.

"It's those evil men! They've cut my funds again. If I don't give them what they want they send the dementor's in here. Month after month it's the same. I'm afraid I'll have to close shop soon." Lola's voice broke as she explained. She took her apron and wiped her eyes as Hannah and Lavender hugged her.

After a few deep breaths and some encouraging words the girls all sat at the front table. Hannah conjured up five mugs of hot coco. Lola took a sip before she continued on, "With Luke gone I don't know how I would make it if I had to leave. I'm barley making enough to put food on the table for Sarah and me."

Hermione glanced at the corner. Lola's husband had built a small play land for the small children that used to visit here when he was still alive. Now there were only three children playing on it. Sarah, Lola's three year old daughter, Mattie, Hannah's two year old, and Megan, who was Ron and Lavender's daughter. Ginny and Harry had decided to wait several years before they had children. They had married a few days before Harry's birthday so the terms of the law didn't apply to them. Hannah had married Neville. They were happy together. It seems that all of her friends were happy. So why was her marriage starting to fall apart.

Hermione took another sip of her chocolate and listened to Hannah tell about the most recent attack.

"Did you hear about Parvati? Lucius's group raided her house. They killed her husband then went for her baby!"

"No!" Ginny gasped, "Not little Alexis! She's barley a few months old!"

"That's not the worst of it. You know how they've been attacking purebloods that were forced to marry muggle borns. They kill the wife and any children. Two days ago Bellatrix entered Parvati's house. After they killed her husband, Bella tied Parvati to a chair and made her watch as she tortured little Alexis. She used Cruico on the baby over and over again. After a while I think she must have got tired of it because she used the Imperio on Parvati and made her torture her own baby!"

"Oh my god!" Lavender said. Hermione watched as Lavender looked at her own baby. It was times like this that she was kind of glad she didn't have a baby. She would always want one, but she didn't think that she could handle watching her own baby being cursed like that!

"She left Parvati! The Order found her yesterday. She was still tied to the chair. They said she's out of it. They took her to Hogwarts this morning. Poppy's watching her right now."

"They just left her there! After making her kill her own baby!" Ginny sat straight up in her chair.

Suddenly the door to the pub was opened. Everyone was quiet went quiet. Hermione turned to see Lucius Malfoy staring back at her.

"Ah, Mrs. Snape," Lucius bowed low before standing and taking off his cloak. "Does Severus know that you are here? He had me under the impression that you were locked up in the house or at Hogwarts. My! He will be angry at you," Lucius clicked his tongue and tilted his head to one side as he looked at her, "Won't he?"

"What I do in my own time is none of my husband's business, Lucius!" Hermione stood and met his eyes. "What is it you want Malfoy?"

"That's not a very nice way to talk to your friend's guest." Lucius turned his eye to Lola, who was cuddling her daughter. Little Sarah was just trembling in her arms. "Lola I'm afraid I have to ask you to give us ten more Galleons a week."

"I can't do that!" Hermione could see Lola's eyes fill with tears.

"Then I'm afraid that we'll have to find some way of payment."

"Please! I'm begging you! I don't have much. All the business is leaving. I can barley feed my daughter. Please don't take more from us!" Lola's tears trickled down her cheeks. She was backing in the corner with Lucius gaining on her. When he finally had her in the corner he snagged the baby out of her arms. He turned and started towards the door. "Please! PLEASE! Not my baby! Please! There has to be some other way Lucius!"

Lucius paused and turned. He looked straight into Lola's frightened eyes. "I can think of one other way. You can repay me in bed Lola! Either that or," He held up Sarah and looked at her before he chuckled, "I get the baby!"

"Leave her alone Malfoy!" Hermione took a step toward him with her wand pointed straight for his heart.

"Well now, the mudblood thinks she can stand up to me. Tsk Tsk. Severus will not be happy to hear this." Lucius set Sarah down. The frightened little one ran straight to her mother's arms.

"I don't care if he's happy or not. You've done enough damage here. Leave Lola alone!" Hermione was about ten steps in front of Lucius.

"Fine then!" Lucius laughed, "Have it your way!"

Lucius apparated away before Lola collapsed in the floor in hysterics. The girls ran to her and carried her to the couch in the corner.

"What am I going to do?" Lola sobbed. Her body was shaking so hard that she couldn't wipe her nose.

"We'll think of a plan Lola. Hermione I think you had better get home before Severus does. Happy Anniversary by the way." Ginny said as she walked back from the kitchen with a mug of tea. They all wished her a Happy Anniversary as she flooed home.

"Severus, just the man I wanted to see!" Lucius strolled into his group's meeting place. Severus was setting on a dusty old couch in the abandoned room. They had moved their meetings to the old Leaky Cauldron. It had been abandoned for about two years now.

"And why would that be Lucius." Severus leaned back on the couch and smiled at Lucius.

"Well Severus, I went to Lola's pub this afternoon. I thought it was time I 'up her rent' a bit. Turns out she wasn't alone. Just when I was about to get something out of her, one of the other girls their told me to leave. It turns out that there were four other women there. They were having some sort of meeting with Mrs. Mulberry."

"And what exactly does this have to do with me Lucius?" Severus took a swig of his firewhiskey. He didn't want to be here. Albus had insisted that he go to these meetings to spy again.

Lucius took a drink of his own firewhiskey. He stood beside the staircase, feeling the pattern on the old wood. "How is your wife Severus? Are you still keeping her locked up?"

Severus didn't like the sound of this. He was beginning to worry about Hermione. "Yes. I do not allow her to leave the house or Hogwarts grounds. You know this Lucius."

"Then tell me, why was your wife at Lola's pub this afternoon?"

"Hermione was in Diagon Alley?" Severus could feel so many different emotions rising that he didn't know which one to feel. He was angry at Hermione for leaving the house without telling him. He was also afraid that Lucius may have hurt her.

"Yes and she told me to leave Ms. Lola alone. You see Severus if she had been anyone else I'd have used Cruico on them right then. I'll give her another chance, but you might want to have a serious talk with her. Next time I won't be so nice!" Lucius drained the last of his firewhiskey and threw the bottle which hit the wall and shattered.

Severus entered his own living room so angry that he was shaking. He found Hermione in the kitchen. She was standing over a pot of stew on the stove. When she looked up at him and saw how angry he was, she took a few steps back. Severus strolled over to the stove and picked up the pot. He threw it against the wall with a shout before he turned on his wife.

"How the hell can you be so stupid? You used to be one of the smartest witches, now you're nothing short of being idiotic!"

Hermione couldn't respond. She just took several steps back before she realized she was pinned on the back wall. Severus took several steps towards her while he continued his rant.

"How dare you go to Diagon Alley after I told you not to go! And fuck Merlin but what the fuck where you thinking when you stood up to Lucius? He could have killed you! He could have tortured you."

Hermione remembered the story of Parvati and found her voice. "You mean like he tortured Parvati? The way they killed her baby? Theway you helped!" She could feel the tears sliding down her face and cursed herself. She didn't want him to see how bad she was hurting. She felt so weak for crying. She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall preparing herself for his angry outburst.

"You know I had no choice in that Hermione. This is all Albus's doing. You're not to go out of the house without my permission again!"

"Your permission. Your permission! I don't need your permission to do anything! I can go where I want to go!" Hermione stopped and took a deep breath. She looked up and met her husband's eyes. His black eyes burned into her brown ones. His chest was heaving and she could see how angry that he really was. Severus took two steps and had Hermione pinned to the wall. He casted a spell on her that she didn't recognize.

"You will not go out again. Do you understand me? I've put a spell on you to tell me if you leave the house or the grounds again." Severus stared into her frightened eyes. They seemed to be begging him for something. He continued to stare into them for a few more moments. Her eyes never left his. Finally he released her and she turned her head away from him. He could her quiet sobs escape her. She slid down the wall and curled up in a ball. She covered her eyes and Severus could hear her sobs getting louder by the second. He took several steps back. He looked around when he saw the pot of stew that he had thrown against the wall. The stew was everywhere. He felt a pang of regret.

"I didn't mean to make you mad. I just wanted to make you happy tonight. I wanted to make you a special dinner and everything. I've been going out with Ginny every week. We get together with Lola and talk. That's all. We just talk. I never saw anything wrong with it." Severus could hear her sobs between words. He turned and looked back at her. She was still cowered on the floor with her face covered. He walked over to her and lifted her off the floor. At first when he let go of her she fell against to wall and looked up at him. After a few minutes she looked down at the floor and muttered something about fixing dinner. He watched as she picked up the pot and cleaned the stew off the wall and floor with a wave of her wand. She cleaned the pot and started chopping vegetables again. Then she put the pot back on the stove and boiled it again.

They ate in silence for most of the meal. Finally Severus spoke up, "This is really good Mione!" He looked over at her but all she would do is nod. He noticed that she really wasn't eating much.

"Mione I didn't want to hurt you, but you have to realize that it's too dangerous for you to go out like that."

"So I'm supposed to stay here and watch the paint chip off the walls. Severus they are my friends! I just want to go out once a week and have a cup of tea with them." Hermione stood and cleared the table. She dropped the dishes in the sink and set them to cleaning themselves with a wave of her wand.

Severus stood up and walked over to her. Hermione turned to face him. "Hermione after today I can't trust you to go out! You can't talk to Lucius that way. He'd kill you in an instance. The only reason he didn't do that today was because you were married to me."

Hermione could feel the anger growing inside of her. She didn't mean to lash out like she did but all the things that were bothering her just forced their way out of her.

"Don't act like you would care if I died Severus. Sometimes I think you wish I would die. You hate me because I couldn't have kids. You never come home anymore. You isolate me from all my friends. We both know you'd be better off without me. Why don't you just let Lucius kill me? Just let him kill me and then you could be free. Or better yet Severus why don't you kill me. Why don't you do it now, while it's just us? You could kill me like they kill everyone else that has the same dirty muggle blood that I have running through my veins. You can even kill me the muggle way! Strangle me, smother me, drown me, hell Severus you could even stab me!" Hermione turned and grabbed a knife out of the sink. She turned and handed it to Severus. "Stab me Sev! Just end it. Just finish me and it will all be over! Just kill me. KILL ME!" Hermione finished her blow up and collapsed to the floor.

Severus dumped the knife into the sink and picked up Hermione off the floor. He carried her into the bathroom and set on the toilet with her in his arms. She continued to scream and cry. Severus shushed her while he filled the tub with lukewarm water. After the tub was filled about half way he turned off the water and undressed her. He dropped her gently into the tub. After a few minutes Hermione seemed to sober up. Her breathing had returned to normal and she had quit crying. Severus set in the floor beside her stroking her hair.

"I'm sorry Severus." She whispered looking down at the water. She wouldn't meet his eyes, "I'm so sorry! For everything!"

"What do you mean for everything? You haven't done anything." Severus continued to stroke her hair and whisper to her. It seemed to be calming her down.

"I couldn't have a baby! I went to the pub every week after you asked me not to. I get you in trouble with Lucius. I'm probably the worst wife in the world!" Hermione continued to whisper in the same tone and still wouldn't mean his eyes.

"Hermione we've been over the baby situation. I only care about you going to the pub because I couldn't stand it if you get hurt. I don't care about Lucius. And you're certainly not the worst wife in the world. I think you're a damn good wife." Severus couldn't understand why she still kept bringing up the baby situation. He told her that he'd love her regardless.

"You yelled last night because of the baby situation." Hermione still wouldn't meet his eyes.

"I didn't. I said that it was a damn good thing we didn't have a baby right now because I wouldn't want my child to grow up in this environment. I didn't mean us. I meant the war."

"I love you Hermione. I know you want a baby more than anything, but no matter what I will always love you. You're my life and I couldn't stand to see you get hurt." Severus was quiet for a few minutes longer before he chuckled, "Some anniversary huh?"

Hermione turned and looked at him. She seemed to be debating about something. After a few minutes she dropped her head and stared into the water.

Severus watched her. He realized that she wanted to go out with her friends. He didn't want to hurt her by telling her no. He wasn't that sort of husband.

"Hermione if you would allow me to escort you to Lola's when you go and pick you up and promise not to say anything to Lucius, I'll let you go out with your friends." Hermione raised her head and stared at him. Finally she nodded. Severus let go of her hair and grabbed a towel out of the closet. He held it up as she stepped out of the tub. He wrapped it around her and held her to him.

"You know I love you right?" he asked her.

"Of course I do! I love you too!"

They held each other for several minutes before he kissed her.

"Happy Anniversary Mione! Dinner was wonderful. You do make a good cook. I think I might keep you!" Severus joked.

Hermione laughed and squeezed him tighter. "Happy Anniversary Sev!"

Authors Note: I still don't have a Beta but I'm trying to do better. I originally thought that I was only going to have ten chapters but apparently not. I keep changing the story. Please review. Love and Brownies to all!


	11. Love and War

Rest in Pieces

By JennyRice07

Summary: Just read the chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Authors note: Thanks to all of my wonderful reviewers. Please continue to review. Love and Brownies to you all! And I want to thank my beta FireChildSlytherin5 for fixing this chapter. The next chapter will be up next week sometime.

Chapter 10

Love and War

"The Order claims that they have a plan in place. I just wish that they would hurry up with it. How many more innocent people are going to die?" Ginny said, set a cup of tea in front of the other girls. She sat down in her chair before she continued, "I mean did you see what Draco did to Marietta? He mutilated her. And she was his wife! He mutilated his own wife for not being a pure blood. And the ministry just lets it happen!"

"Of course the ministry just lets it happen! Lucius controls the ministry! Hence the reason this is a ghost town now." Hannah replied, taking a drink from her tea.

Hermione pushed her own tea back. She'd been feeling a bet sick lately. She blamed it on the stress from the war. It was 6 weeks after her anniversary. She and Severus weren't fighting anymore. Her breakdown on their anniversary seemed to be just what they needed. He was true to his word. Once a week he escorted her to Diagon Ally to have a tea with her friends. He even started a fire for them so they could be warm. Since they had such little children the cold air was becoming a big problem.

"They released Parvati this morning!" Hermione put in her share of the gossip.

"That's great! How is she?" Lola asked as she set a plate of foods on the table.

Hermione winced at the smell, but it wasn't until they started eating that she ran to the bathroom. When she came back they were all staring at her.

"Hermione are you ok?" Lola took Hermione's hand and pinched the skin.

"You look really pale!" Ginny felt her forehead.

"I'm ok I think. I'm just really stressed."

"I think it's more than stress! Have you had your Aunt Floo this month?" Lavender asked.

"No but like I said I think its stress."

"I still think you need to see a doctor Hermione." Hannah handed her a cup of ginger ale. Hermione took a few sips and felt her stomach calm a little. She wiped away the sweat from her forehead.

"I'm not pregnant!" Hermione yelled, brushed them all away. The heat was starting to make her nauseous again.

"Have you checked?" Hannah asked.

"Well no, but I can't get pregnant remember?" Hermione took several deep breaths to settle her stomach.

"Hermione they said it was unlikely but not impossible!" Ginny stated.

"You need to check Hermione!" Hannah was really worried. Lavender agreed with her.

"How am I supposed to do that? Lucius and his group have taken over St. Mungo's." Hermione leaned back and shutting her eyes.

"I have a muggle pregnancy kit. They work you know!" Lola stood and walked into the back room. She came back with a box. She handed it to Hermione and told her to follow the directions.

Hermione went into the bathroom and read the box:

_Urinate__ on the __tip of the test for 10 seconds. Lay the test face down and wait for 3 minutes. The test will either display pregnant or not pregnant._

Hermione laid the test on the bathroom sink and checked the clock above the sink.

3 minutes. She didn't want to get excited because what if it was just a false alarm. Besides didn't St. Mungo's say that she had to visit them if she became pregnant? She couldn't visit them now. Not with Lucius there.

2 minutes. Then again maybe Severus will be able to get her in. He was a spy for Lucius after all. Severus! What would he say? With the war at its peak like it was, would he be happy or upset if she was pregnant? What if he was upset? She didn't think she could deal with that.

1 minute. She wanted a baby, but what if the timing was bad? What if Severus didn't want it? Relax, she told herself. Severus loves me. No matter what he'll take care of me. He'll find me a doctor.

Hermione flipped the test over. _Pregnant._ That one little word was going to change everything. Hermione felt the tears begin to stream down her face. First it was one tear drop, and then the flood gate was opened up. Over five years of trying to get pregnant and finally! She didn't care if the timing was bad or not. She was thrilled to be pregnant. She just hoped Severus felt the same way.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffled. She blew her nose and exited the bathroom. "I'm pregnant!" She screamed. All of the girls jumped up and hugged her.

"You see Hermione! I told you if you'd be patient it would happen!" Ginny was crying as much as Hermione. Hermione watched as Ginny wiped the tears and then started crying again. "You know I had always hoped that I could be a Mediwitch one day. I guess that won't happen now!" Hermione felt really bad for Ginny. She had been one month from finishing up her Mediwitch training to work at St. Mungo's when Lucius took over. Obviously this forced Ginny out of school.

After about another hour Hermione couldn't wait to tell Severus. She sent a note to Severus to pick her up.

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Severus sat at the meeting. "Lucius you do realize that running all the business out of Diagon Ally is a disadvantage to us as well. You are about to put my potion's ingredient supplier out of business. What are you going to do when I can't make healing potions anymore?"

"So we'll leave your supplier alone. There are other businesses. Lola is making out to be a nice whore."

"Lucius, you're not?" Severus thought of little Lola. She was barely a year older than Hermione. She had lost her husband to Lucius's hand less than 2 years ago and now he was forcing her to sleep with him.

"She does it willingly to keep me away from little Sarah!" Lucius laughed at the thought. "Just find out what the Order is planning Severus!"

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Severus left the meeting with the intentions of going to get some potions supplies when his owl dropped a letter on his shoulder. He read Hermione's handwriting asking him to pick her up, so he apparated over to Lola's.

"Severus there you are. Do you think we can take a walk for a few minutes?" Hermione asked him. Her big brown eyes were pleading with him.

"I suppose…" he responded, unsure of why she wanted to take a walk.

The two of them walked down the deserted street. The cobblestone road that used to be so beautiful, now crumbled in ruin under their feet. Severus kept looking over at Hermione. She seemed to have something different about her. Finally she started asking him questions.

"Severus, if we could have a baby, would you want one?" Hermione wouldn't meet his eyes. She just kept staring at the ground in front of her.

"Of course I would Hermione." Severus thought that was an odd question. He wondered what had made Hermione bring up the subject of babies again.

"It's true that Lucius took over St. Mungo's?" Hermione had to lead him into this the right way. She was so afraid that he was going to reject her even though part of her knew that he wouldn't.

"Yes. His plan is to control the babies that are born there. I think he wants to kill all of the babies born to muggleborns." Severus sighed. Lucius seemed like he just wanted to destroy everything and make muggles and muggle born witch and wizards miserable for no reason. He had taken over the hospital as a way of getting to more families.

"People know this?" Hermione asked, wondering how most families were dealing with the situation. She was starting to get a little worried about her own situation.

"Most do." Severus had personally warned many and the order had warned the rest.

"So where will they get help for their pregnancies?" Hermione wondered if she was going to be alone or if there was a secret way to get a doctor.

"Most will turn to other mom's. I'd say a lot of them will give birth at home." Severus was getting worried of where this conversation was going. He wondered if one of her friends was pregnant.

"At home?" The idea of being alone at home when she gave birth terrified Hermione.

"Yes."

"In their own beds?" Having a baby in your own bed was ok she guessed. At least you'd be comfortable.

"Yes."

"Do you think that is a good idea?" She wanted to know what Severus thought of that idea.

"Personally, I think people should put off having kids right now. I wouldn't want my baby to grow up in this!"

Hermione stopped beside him. Severus could see that she was hurt. He wondered what he said that hurt her.

"Hermione, what is it?"

Hermione didn't answer him. She looked up at him and the tears just kept streaming down her cheeks. Severus reached up and brushed the tears away. He kissed her forehead gently.

"Sev, I need to tell you something. I'm just scarred you're going to be angry with me."

Severus was beginning to worry that Hermione was going to open a birthing center in their home. "What is it love?" he asked.

Hermione took a deep breath and took the test out of her pocket. She handed him the test and he stared at it for several minutes. "Where did you get this muggle test from?"

"Lola."

"So you're pregnant?"

"Yes."

"Hermione you need to see a doctor!"

"I know but how?"

Severus thought long and hard. He knew that there was no way he was going to trust his wife and baby in a hospital that Lucius Malfoy was controlling. He didn't want the chance of her being alone and quite frankly with her complications she needed a checkup.

"There is one doctor that Lucius hasn't been able to control yet!"

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"What do you think Poppy?" Hermione asked eagerly.

"You're about 6 weeks along and everything looks good so far. I'm going to monitor you once a week though."

"Thanks Poppy!" Hermione pulled her shirt back down. She and Severus walked back home. When alone Severus picked her up and hugged her. Hermione squealed and wrapped her arms around him. He set her down and kissed her over and over again.

"So you're not mad?" Hermione meet his gaze and could see the tears in his eyes.

"Mad? I'm overjoyed. I'm going to be a father." He kissed her again.

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3 months:

Hermione scoped another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. She looked over at the couch where Severus was passed out. He really was good to her. He had searched for over an hour before bringing her home some pickle flavored ice cream. He'd fallen asleep right after that on the couch. Hermione hoped for his sake that the food cravings would be over soon enough.

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4 months:

"You're defiantly getting bigger. Do you want to know the sex of the baby?" Poppy ran her wand over Hermione's stomach and studied everything.

Hermione looked at Severus. He nodded. "Yes Poppy!"

"Well it looks like you're going to have a little girl! She's healthy. I don't think we'll have any problems until your about 8 months along. Then we need to worry about early delivery. But for now you're normal and healthy. Congratulations you two!" Poppy walked out of the curtained area leaving them alone.

"I'm going to be swimming in the estrogen ocean aren't I?" Severus looked at Hermione. She couldn't help but laugh at the disgusted look on his face. She thought she would edge it on a bit.

"Yes. A Gryffindor estrogen ocean." Severus flinched just like Hermione knew he would.

"No child of mine will be in Gryffindor!"

Hermione laughed, "That's what you think Severus Snape!"

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6 months:

"Tell me again why I have to do this without magic?" Severus said as he struggled to get part D to fit into part E of the baby changing station. Sweat was dripping off his forehead. He'd already put the crib up and the rocking chair. On top of that Hermione made him paint the nursery pink and purple.

"Because if the magic fails then the crib falls and the baby gets hurt. You know that!" Hermione was getting agitated. She loved being pregnant but she hated being fat. She couldn't help think that everyone was looking at her all the time. Her back hurt and her ankles swelled up.

"Their! It's finished!" Severus said, exhausted. How much more could she need for a baby? He stood back to admire his handy work. The nursery was done in teddy bears. Hermione had bought a white crib, changing table, rocking chair, and baby carrier. She had a white dresser between the crib and changer. On the dresser she had a night light lamp and a picture of her parents. She had a blanket hanging on the wall with the name Vivian on it. They had decided on this name because of how active the baby was. The name Vivian meant lively so it just fit.

Hermione waddled over to Severus and kissed him. "Thank you Sev." Severus smiled and pulled her closer.

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7 months:

Hermione set in Lola's pub. All of her friends had gotten together and thrown her a baby shower. Ginny had bought a pink dress that said Daddy's girl. Lavender had bought a baby book. Lola had bought a pack of bottles. She had a lot of diapers and wipes from random people. She had several clothes. Blankets and hooded bath towels. Her last gift was from Tonks. It said "Somebody went to Rome and all I got was a lousy t-shirt." Hermione laughed. That was when she remembered her onesie from Florida.

After the baby shower she put away all of the gifts, then climbed into the attic and found the bag with her baby onesie in it. She took the onesie out and washed it. She laid it in the crib and walked away.

Severus came home from the Order meeting to find her unpacking what was left from the baby shower. He glanced in the crib and saw the onesie. "Who bought that?"

"I did?"

"When?"

"On our honeymoon. I wanted it in case we ever had a baby."

"Clever."

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8 months:

Crash! Hermione jumped when she heard someone whisper her maiden name. She looked around the kitchen. She didn't see anyone so she bent to clean up the broken plate.

"Granger!" Hermione stood up using the counter as support. She defiantly heard it that time. She tip toed into her living room with her wand in front of her. She was already a little freaked out because it was almost 9 at night and Severus wasn't home yet.

Suddenly the lights went out. "Lumos!" Hermione turned around in circles but still didn't see anyone. "Who are you? What do you want?"

Hermione walked towards her bathroom. If she could just get to her bathroom she could lock herself in and send a note to Severus.

"Granger!" The voice called again.

"Leave me alone!" Hermione screamed using her wand to look around the best she could. Finally she reached the bathroom. She pointed her wand into the bathroom to find Draco Malfoy looking right at her. Hermione screamed as he grabbed her. He dragged her towards her bed room and threw her on the bed. The lights came back on the show Severus unconscious on the floor in a puddle of blood.

Hermione screamed again.

"Hermione Granger Snape. So we met again! It will be really funny when Severus awakes to find you and the baby dead because he betrayed us." Lucius Malfoy kicked Severus. Then he turned his wand on her, "Cruico!"

Hermione fell to the floor screaming. She felt every muscle in her body contracting. She couldn't breathe. She kept thinking about her baby. She could feel her baby jump around. The pain of the curse was hurting her baby too! Suddenly the pain stopped. She could hear Lucius's laugh.

"What's the matter mudblood? Hurt too much? Cruico!" The pain started again and Hermione screamed as her muscles contracted again. This time when the pain stopped her baby didn't move. She was afraid that they had killed her baby. She started screaming. She felt a gush of water between her legs and kept screaming. Again and Again he cast cruico on her. She could no longer feel her baby move. Finally Lucius quit. "No. I won't kill you. I'll just kill the baby. Filthy mudblood!" With that he kicked her and both he and Draco apparated away.

Hermione crawled over to Severus. "Severus please wake up. Severus he's hurt the baby. Severus I can't feel the baby!"

Finally Severus stirred and stood up. He picked her up and stepped into the fireplace. They came out at Hogwarts infirmary. Poppy put both Severus and Hermione in a bed. Severus was bleeding to death so Poppy healed his cuts first. It only took about a minute. All the while Hermione rubbed her belly trying to get her baby to move.

* * *

Author's note: Sorry about the cliff hanger! Or am I ? Maybe I'll get a lot of reviews asking for the next chapter. I want to take a vote. The winning plot will be the one I write with. Should Severus go after Lucius alone or should he wait and let the order deal with him? Please review and vote. Love and Brownies to everyone. 


	12. The Game of Survival

Rest in Pieces

By JennyRice07

Summary: Read the last chapter and you'll guess what's going to happen.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's note: This isn't a long chapter but it sums up the cliff hanger. Tonight is the last night to vote. If you want Severus to go after Lucius alone tell me. Or if you want him to wait and let the order deal with him tell me. What happens next is up to you!

I decided to post this a few days earlier because of all my wonderful reviews. Thanks to my beta for getting this chapter back to me so quickly. For all my faithful reviewer's, here is chapter 11. Enjoy!

999

Chapter 11

The Game of Survival

999

Hermione watched as her husband bleed to death on the next bed beside her. Poppy was trying everything she knew to stop the blood. She claimed that she didn't know what curse Lucius had used on Severus. Hermione wasn't sure what had happened. She was washing dishes when Lucius and Draco raided their home. She didn't know why either.

Her baby was not kicking. She couldn't feel her move at all. Not a kick or a nudge or a hiccup. She just prayed that her baby was okay. Hermione bit her bottom lip while telling herself that life wasn't cruel enough to give her what she wanted more than anything else in life, then take it and her husband away from her in one night.

"Poppy, what happened?" Minerva McGonagall asked the Mediwitch, walking into the Hospital Wing just in time.

"I'm not sure Minerva can you use the floo to call Ginny Weasley? She was almost done with her Mediwitch schooling. She will be able to assist me." Poppy said over her shoulder, continuing trying different spells as Severus continued to grow paler and paler from the lost of blood.

Hermione could feel herself slip into a panic. She was watching Severus die right beside her and she couldn't feel her baby. She began to rub her baby harder and harder until her stomach muscles contracted around her. Hermione cried out in pain.

Ginny walked in just in time to see Hermione cry out. "Hermione you have to stop. You're rubbing up contractions!"

"Ginny I can't feel her. Ginny I can't feel my baby move! Ginny I can't feel her at all!" Hermione was nearly shouting. She gasped as another pain shot through her body. She started crying from panic and the pain. Ginny checked her uterus.

"She's dilating Poppy. She's going to have this baby and soon!" Ginny announced.Hermione couldn't breathe. She stated hyperventilating. "Hermione you have to calm down. Hermione can you hear me. Hermione? Damn I think she's going into shock! Hermione!" Ginny checked Hermione's eyes.

"Hermione, baby, calm down. We're going to be okay. You need to worry about Vivian now." The room quieted when they heard Severus speak. No one knew he was awake.

"Severus?" Hermione whispered, unsure that she heard him.

"Severus do you know what spell Lucius used on you?" Poppy asked him. Severus muttered off the name and told her the antidote.

After about twenty minutes Severus was back to normal. He took a seat next to Hermione. The labor pains had progressed and she was now eight centimeter's dilated. She screamed as the pain racked through her body.

Another ten minutes and she was ready to push. "Okay Hermione on the next contraction I need you to bare down and push the baby out. One, two, three and push!"Hermione bared down and pushed with all of her body weight. She could feel the baby move farther down. Contraction after contraction she pushed with all her might. Finally the baby's head was crowning.

Severus looked down and to lighten the mood a little he chuckled, "I told you she'd have my hair!"

Hermione gritted her teeth. She couldn't help being hateful, "Let's just hope she doesn't have your nose or she'll never get out of there."

"Okay Hermione push one last time okay?"

Hermione nodded as she pushed and felt a release as the baby slid out of her body. Almost instantly she knew there was a problem. Her baby wasn't crying.

Severus watched as Ginny and Poppy tried to get baby Vivian's heart to beat again. The tears were rising to his eyes to see his little girl not breathing. He felt Hermione squeeze his hand.

Finally after what seemed like forever he heard a small wail. Little Vivian's color turned from blue to bright pink. Ginny handed the baby back to Hermione. "She's small, but she's a fighter."

Hermione and Severus gazed in awe at the gift fate had given them. After five years they had a family.

999Author's note: This is a short chapter but like I said the next bit depends on you. Please review. If you review for both chapter and vote your vote will count for both times. Love and Brownies to you all!


	13. No End in Sight!

Rest in Pieces

By JennyRice07

Disclaimer: I don't dream anymore because I'm so tired, so Severus is never mine now!

Author's Note: I'm sorry it's taking so long to get chapters up. I'm trying to make them longer and at the same time I'm trying not to finish my story yet. I think I need more than 14 chapters. The results of the poll where that Severus's should go after Lucius alone. Thanks to all of my wonderful reviewer's. Love and Brownies to you all!

I want to thank my Beta FireChildSlytherin5 for fixing my errors. You're the greatest! Hugs!

Chapter 12

No End in Sight!

Draco Malfoy felt like someone was following him as he strolled through Diagon Alley. He turned and continued his walk when he didn't see anyone. He wished that his father could see how much he was destroying the wizard world instead of saving it. The alley was deserted with only a few stores left here and there. Draco hated this war and wanted nothing more than to get out from under his father's feet. Lucius had been controlling Draco's life for far too long.

A few months ago Draco had to fake his own wife's death to keep his father from harming her. He'd hidden his beloved in a muggle village for the time being. He wished that he could at least have his godfather to confide in. He knew that after his father had forced him to hurt Hermione that Severus would never understand.

Draco found the store that he was looking for. He finished his shopping and headed back to the secret fireplace. He needed to get back to his wife. Draco had been relived at the least to hear that Severus, Hermione, and their baby had survived. His father of course was furious and had used Cruico on him repeatedly for '_Fucking up'_.

Draco reached the Alley with the hidden fireplace. He turned and started towards it when someone grabbed him and threw him against the wall of the building surrounding it. Draco dropped his bag reviling his purchased but his attacker didn't seem to notice.

Draco raised his eyes and gazed into blazing black eyes of his godfather, Severus Snape.

--

Severus had followed Draco since he had entered the alley. He had plans of letting Draco finish what he was up to in hopes of discovering what Lucius had planned. He watched as Draco entered a store and left with several shopping bags. He followed him back to the alleyway he had come from.

Severus jumped and caught Draco causing him to drop the bags he was holding as Severus pinned him against the brick wall. Draco met his eyes and Severus could feel the fear radiating off him. '_He should_.' Thought Severus.

"Please don't kill me Severus!" Draco's plea was quiet and Severus could feel him shaking.

"Give me one good reason!" Severus's voice was quiet as he crushed Draco's arms against the wall. He watched as Draco flinched at both the pain in his arms and the tone in Severus's voice.

"Because if you do my wife will die."

"Your wife is already dead!" Severus snarled.

"No she's…ahh!" Draco cried out in pain as Severus slammed him against the wall again.

"Don't lie! I saw the report in the profit." Severus glared at him with disgust. How could someone mutilate their wife that way then lie and say she was still alive?

Severus raised his wand and pointed it directly at Draco's face. Draco cried out, "It was faked Severus! She is alive. I had to hide her to protect her from father!" Draco's eyes were the size of a galleon. Severus kept his wand pointed at him as he stepped back. He stepped on something and glanced down. It was then that he noticed the contents of the bags. There was a pink baby blanket and some bottles. There were also some little pink outfits and several packages of diapers and wipes.

"Going to a baby shower are we?" Severus asked in an amused voice.

"I told you she was alive. That's why I had to hide her," Draco rubbed his arms where Severus had held his grip on him. "Father would have killed her. Our baby too. She's only a month younger than yours."

Severus lowered his wand and said in a low voice, "Prove it! Show me your wife and the baby!"

Draco stared at him for a few moments before asking Severus to follow him. He stepped into the fireplace. When he came out he waited for Severus to appear. Then he motioned for Severus to follow him again.

The first thing that Severus noticed was that they were in muggle London. The second thing was that the fireplace had exited inside of some sort of tunnel. As they left the tunnel, they walked along in a tiny street with street lights every few feet.

The second thing that Severus noticed was that Draco's right had started to tremor. It started like a normal shake and increased into an uncontrollable constant twitching. Severus imediantly recognized this as overexposure to Cruico. He had suffered it many times himself.

Draco tried to hide his hand. He hated this damn tremor. It was getting better after three weeks but it still reoccurred. He led Severus to the old rundown apartment building.

They entered the building and started up five flights of stairs. They exited the stairway at the fifth floor. Draco opened the door and led Severus down a long hallway. Severus's first thought was that the building needed to be torn down. The doors were all broken and the paint was chipping and falling off the walls. Most of the hallway lights were burnt out and the exposed pipes where leaking water.

Draco finally stopped at one of the doors. He inserted his key and turned. He beckoned for Snape to enter. Severus entered what was a very tiny sitting room. There was one couch and a tiny book case. In the corner was a small foldable table with three chairs around it. Off the sitting room to the left was a tiny bathroom. Severus didn't go inside but from the outside it looked like it held a tub, toilet, and sink. The door beside the bathroom was left open as well reviling a full size bed and broken dresser furniture. Severus looked to the right to see another bedroom that was the size of a closet. He could see a crib and pink wall paper in that room. Beside of it was a tiny kitchen.

Severus was shocked to see that Marietta Edgecombe Malfoy was indeed alive. It was apparent that she hadn't spotted him when she ran into Draco's waiting arms and wept. Draco enfolded her into his arms and rubbed her back to calm her.

"I was so scared. I thought that your father might have hurt you again." She said, nestled her head into his neck.

Draco continued to hold her and rub circles on her back, "Father was angry that his plan wasn't going well and I had to watch as he tortured Nott. Then I stopped in Diagon Alley to pick up the diapers. We have a visitor." Draco stated. Marietta turned her head and spotted Severus. Her eyes widened as she realized who he was. Undoubtedly Draco had told her what had happened.

"He's here to see if you and baby Payton were really alive." Draco told her letting g go of her when he heard the baby whimper from her tiny room. Draco retrieved the baby and coddled her for a moment before showing her to Severus. She looked just like him. She had his blond hair and when she opened her eyes, Severus could see that she had his gray eyes also.

Draco handed the baby back to Marietta and asked if Severus could join him outside. He took a bottle of firewhiskey out of the cabinet in the kitchen and stepped out a door that Severus hadn't noticed. The door led them to a small porch like area. They had called it a balcony when he and Hermione had stayed in Florida for their honeymoon. Draco poured him a glass and took a sip of his own firewhiskey.

Draco grunted as his body started to tremor again. Severus frowned when he saw. "Did Lucius do this?" He questioned Draco. Draco simply nodded and stared straight ahead.

He bent his head and wouldn't let Severus see his face, "It's been about three weeks now. He did it the night he found that your baby was alive. He blamed me saying that I was too easy on Hermione." The tremor stopped and Draco took another drink.

"I never wanted to hurt them you know. Father made me come along. I'm not feeling so well tonight. I think I'm going to go to bed. Stay as long as you like."

"No. I need to get home to Hermione and Vivian. Take care of your family Draco and if you need anything let me know. I don't blame you for what happened." With that Severus and Draco entered the house. Draco entered the bedroom and Severus made for the door.

Mary stopped him with her arm. She glanced towards their bedroom to make sure the door was closed. "He cried for days you know. He was so relieved to hear that Hermione and the baby were okay. It hurt him so bad." She took a breath and continued on, "Lucius is a cruel man. He hurts Dray so bad. Please tell Hermione. Please let her know!" With that she let go of his arm and walked towards their bedroom.

Severus let himself out.

-

Mary went to the nursery and gathered her sleeping baby in her arms. She found Draco in the bedroom lieing on his back. She joined him on the bed and placed the baby on his chest. Draco gently stroked his baby's back. He gathered Mary in his other arm. Mary snuggled closer to him and he could feel her sobs rack through her body as he held her.

He hated to see her cry. His father hated her from the minute the engagement was made. Draco had thought of her as a sweet girl. They had several things in common and got along well together. He realized that he loved her on their wedding day. Lucius had tormented her and forced Draco into it also. Her dress was hideous and her hair looked like a pigs' nest. His father also used his favorite insults also, like she needed a miracle potion to fix her face and she needed to weigh herself and subtract it by 50 then weight that. He had totally humiliated her in front of her family and remaining friends. She had tried so hard not to cry but when Draco held her hand and prepared to recite his vowels, that was when the tears began to flow. How she made it through the vows without losing it he'd never know. When it was time to kiss her, he did so gently and possessively to let her know that he was there for her. He had taken her virginity that night.

It didn't take long after that to realize that he loved his Mary. His father wasn't about to let that happen though. A month after they were married, Draco found that Lucius was raping, beating, and forcing his Mary to do the most gruesome things. It had almost broken her. When they had found that she was pregnant with Payton, Draco had run a test to see if the baby was his and not his father's. When the test proved that the baby was indeed his, he formed a plan to hide them both.

His mother knew about the plan of course. She was the one who helped deliver Payton. Draco had long since considered his mother to be his only parent. His father was now Lucius when he was away from him.

Draco wanted to join the light side. He wanted to end his own father's life so that his baby wouldn't have to grow up in fear. He needed to talk to someone. After a few hours of thought he made a plan to visit Hermione and Severus, as he fell into a restless sleep.

--

Severus couldn't believe that Draco was telling the truth. He thought back to when Draco was three years old. Lucius had invited him over for Christmas. When Draco had stumbled upon his presents, he hadn't waited for his parents. Instead he had ripped the paper off and started to play with his new toys. Lucius had been furious and had beaten the boy. Then to top it all off he had broken every new toy Draco had received. Severus hadn't realized that the same type of treatment might still be going on.

As he entered the front door of Spinner's End, he heard shrill cries from upstairs. When he entered the nursery to see what was wrong he saw a exhausted Hermione bouncing baby Vivian as she tried to calm her. Hermione looked up and saw him as she continued to bounce the screaming baby.

Severus kissed her cheek and took the baby from her. After just a few minutes and some soft words the baby was asleep. He gently put her in her crib and motioned for Hermione to follow him into the bedroom.

"Where were you? I've been worried out of my mind Severus." Hermione collapsed in front of her vanity and started to plaid her hair. She had learned several years ago that if she braided her hair when she slept, that it wasn't so frizzy and unmanageable when she awoke the next day.

"I cornered Draco Malfoy in Diagon Alley." Severus said as he kicked off his boots and started to unbutton his robes.

Hermione stopped braiding her hair and turned to him. "Draco?" She stated as if in a daze. "Where is he? What happened between you?"

Severus stopped. He was unsure of how to tell her the truth. "He's at home." He paused for a second before continuing on, "With his wife Marietta."

Hermione shook her head and looked straight at Severus, "Marietta's dead. Draco mutilated her. It was in the profit months ago!"

Severus stood and walked towards the window. He stared out at the garden. His mother had kept a garden when he was younger until his father had beat her senseless for watering the garden instead of cooking dinner. The garden had remained empty for many years. When he moved Hermione in that was one of the first things she did. At first it was only a few flowers here and there. She had told him that they would grow. He had thought of her as silly and foolish. She was right however. Six years later the whole garden was in bloom.

"She's not dead. I saw her. Draco has hidden her in a muggle village. He had to hide her from Lucius. They have a baby now. She's not much younger than Vivian. Marietta said that Draco cried and cried after Lucius forced him to attack you."

Hermione was speechless. She finished braiding her hair and went to stand beside her husband. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her tenderly. Hermione deepened the kiss and when they finally stepped apart she looked him in the eyes with the same look she always had when she wanted him.

Severus stared at her before asking, "Are you sure?"

Hermione nodded and kissed him again. Severus picked her up and carried her to the bed. That night was the first night in over the four months that Vivian had been home that she slept without waking them up until the next morning.

--

Draco knocked on Dumbledore's office door. He had decided to go directly to Dumbledore instead of Severus. Beside him were his beautiful wife and baby. Marietta looked worried and pale. He knew that she was pale after months of being coped up in their tiny apartment building. Today she looked paler than normal.

"Enter!" He heard the headmaster call. He smiled at Marietta and opened the door. Albus looked up in surprise when he saw them.

"Hello Professor Dumbledore. If you would be so kind my wife and I would like to have a word with you." Draco stated as he wrapped his arm around Mary's shoulder.

"You certainly may Draco and must I say what a surprise this is. Please sit!" Albus gestured to the chairs in front of his desk. Draco took the baby and helped Mary sit. She was still having trouble sitting after having Payton. He set beside her and rocked his baby softly.

"To what do I owe this visit?" Dumbledore asked as he eyed the couple.

"Professor Dumbledore I am here because I would like to help fight against my father. To become a spy for you. I am willing to put my life at risk for you in return for one thing."

Dumbledore eyed Draco carefully before asking him to continue. Draco took a deep breath and replied, "I want to ask you to hide my family in a safer spot. I want to know that my baby is safe from my father and that Mary won't be discovered by him. We faked her death to hide her from father."

"Seeing as how Severus can no longer be my spy, I am in great need on one. You must take the vow Draco. You understand this?" His blue eyes pierced Draco's gray ones as Draco nodded. "Very well then."

--

"So you have indeed found another spy Albus?" Severus asked as he strolled the corridors with the headmaster that night. He wanted to be at home with Hermione and Vivian but the headmaster had said that it was important for him to be here tonight.

"I have." Albus answered, "Lovely night is it not?"

"Yes Albus it is a beautiful night." Severus answered impatiently, "What of the spy?"

"He is none other than Draco Malfoy."

Severus came to a halt. "How can you be so sure that he's not just using this as a way of getting his father information?"

"Apparently there was a muggle shooting near his secret apartment. He is afraid for his wife and baby so he asked me to protect them both in exchange for becoming a spy for the order. He and Marietta both joined."

"So he does love her then?" Severus stared out at the lake. The moonlight glistened upon it causing it to sparkle. He watched as a mermaid jumped out of the water and land back in gracefully.

"Very much so. About as much as you and young Hermione love each other. You do love her don't you?" Albus asked him.

Severus met the old man's eyes as he gave his answer, "Yes Albus. I do love her! I love her and Vivian more than life itself!"

"Then you must help young Malfoy. This isn't going to be easy for him. He's also scarred for his family. I want your word that you will help him."

Severus thought for a few seconds before thinking of a woman that he once asked Albus to protect. Then when he didn't see the signs, she was killed. "Yes Albus I will help him. We don't want another Harry Potter."

"I'm glad you see it my way Severus!" Albus stated as they continued their patrol of the castle.

--

Hermione placed baby Payton into the playpen with Vivian. Both babies had grown since they had first been introduced. It had been nearly 9 months since Severus had pinned Draco in Diagon Alley. Albus had moved Draco and Marietta next door to Severus and herself. He had become the secret keeper for them and had told only Hermione and Severus the location. She and Marietta had become close friends. Hermione had even removed the scares from her face.

It had been an interesting three months to say the least. Hermione and Ginny Potter had both discovered that they were pregnant. Ginny was having a boy and Hermione was having another girl. She was already six months along. At first Hermione wasn't too thrilled with the idea of having a second child so soon but when she told Severus his reaction had changed her mind completely. He was so happy that she thought she would burst. She hadn't known that he wanted another child.

Severus and Draco were away doing some undercover work for the order and were supposed to be back by dinner time. Marietta had agreed to help her with dinner today. The girls got started on dinner. Neither one could wait to hear the news.

--

"Alright Ginny, one more big push and you're nearly done." Poppy instructed Marietta to get some towels and get ready to clean the baby. Hermione was in a second bed having contractions also. Ginny had fully dilated first. Harry was their holding her hand. She had been in labor for nearly 36 hours. Hermione was alone. She was 9 centimeters dilated and didn't know where Severus was. Her labor had only begun an hour ago. She let out a wail as she felt the pressure building.

"Poppy I have to push!" she exclaimed as Poppy tried to deliver Ginny's baby.

"Hermione you must wait. I have to finish with Ginny first!" Poppy yelled at Hermione from across the room. Hearing the tone in her voice made Hermione tear up from both the pain and the hurt. It wasn't like she chose to go into labor when Ginny was ready to push. It just happened. Hermione held back as long as she could, cry out at every contraction. She could feel something between her thighs and knew that her baby was crowning.

It was just luck that Molly Weasley happened to walk in at the exact moment that Hermione screamed. The next thing she knew was that Molly was telling her to push. Hermione obliged and bore down with all her might. One push was all it took. Molly cleaned the baby and passed her to her mother before dealing with the afterbirth. Hermione gazed into her daughter's eyes for the first time. She didn't need anyone to tell her that this baby was going to be the spitting image of her father.

A couple hours later when both girls and their babies where cleaned up, Severus ran into the infirmary.

"Severus, come meet your new daughter." Hermione whispered. Severus sat beside her on the bed and took the baby, Olivia. She was perfect. He cried as he kissed Hermione's forehead.

"You did beautifully Mione. She's beautiful. Just like her mother." Severus said with a slight catch in his throat.

"She'll look like her daddy!" Hermione stated. Severus chuckled and kissed her.

He rested his forehead against hers and said in barley more than a whisper, "Thank you Mione. You have given me two of the most beautiful baby girls I could ask for. I love you."

"I love you too!" She said before she fell asleep leaning against him.

--

Hermione awoke to the sound of an owl taping on her window. She grabbed Severus's robe and tied it around her as she walked to the window. She and Olivia had been home for a little over two months now. Hermione had to admit that taking care of a newborn and a toddler wasn't the easiest task. She had just put the baby to bed and fallen asleep herself when the owl woke her up. Since Severus was with Draco working as a spy, Hermione's first thought was that maybe Severus was hurt. She quickly untied the letter and groaned as she noticed the handwriting.

She scanned the letter quickly:

-

_My Dear sister Hermione,_

_I have missed you since mom and dad are gone. I hear you are married with two beautiful baby girls. I was wondering if y__ou can come visit me in Paris. __I would like the chance to meet my nieces. And bring that brother-in-law of mine. He needs to know that I won't stand __for anyone mistreating my baby __sister._

_Please write back and let me know!_

_Cheers,_

_Nicki_

-

Hermione folded the letter and collapsed back on her bed. She hadn't seen her sister since the funeral. Nicole was three years older than Hermione. At the funeral she had called Hermione a freak and told her that her parents' deaths were all Hermione's fault. Hermione had run from the service in tears. Ron held her for hours. It was two weeks after that when Hermione discovered she was pregnant.

As much as she hated her sister, she was still Hermione's family. She would talk to Severus in the morning. She smiled when she heard the door open and her husband say a few naughty words when he stubbed his toe on Vivian's toys.

--

Severus awoke to the smell of bacon. He quickly dressed and entered the kitchen to find Hermione fixing breakfast. Severus picked Vivian up and held her. Hermione turned and smiled at him. She placed a full plate of food in front of him and took Vivian. She feed Vivian her breakfast while she asked Severus about his night.

"Same ole. Lucius wants Draco to go after some muggle girl. I never found out why. How was your night?"

"Olivia cried until almost one. After I got her to sleep I received a letter from my sister."

Severus gave Hermione a puzzled look as he swallowed a mouthful of eggs. "Your sister?" He hadn't known she had a sister. Then again he had never asked.

"Yes. Her name is Nicole and she lives in France. She's a model. I haven't seen her since mom and dad's funeral. We sort of had a fallen out. She says she wants to meet her nieces. I'd like to go if you'd come with me." Hermione's big brown eyes pleaded with him. Vivian had the same eyes he noticed. He couldn't tell her no.

"Fine. We'll go this weekend."

"Thank you." Hermione placed a kiss on his cheek before setting Vivian in the floor and running off to send a letter to her sister.

--

Author's notes: The next chapter is about visiting Hermione's sister. Here is one clue to the chapter though. Her sister was a muggle. So how did she know that Hermione was married with two kids? And she did say she wanted to see her _nieces_! Well I'll let you guess what is going to happen!


	14. Betrayal!

Rest in Pieces

By JennyRice07

Summary: N/A

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's note: This story shouldn't be too much longer. Then again I tend to think of new ideas when I'm one sentence from being done with a chapter, only to find myself completely redoing a chapter. Thanks to all of my wonderful reviewer's. Love and Brownies. Special thanks to my Beta FireChildSlytherin5 for fixing my mistakes. You're the greatest!!! Hugs!!!

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Chapter 13

Betrayal

Hermione wrapped the blanket around Olivia a little tighter. The air was much cooler here. She stepped off the train and studied her surroundings. Severus stood behind her with Vivian. She was gurgling, apparently excited about being in a new place.

Hermione spotted her sister waving to her from the far side of the platform. "Hermione darling! Over here!"

Hermione strolled over to her sister. Her sister hugged her gently and stepped into a taxi cab. The cab took them to her sister's townhouse. Soon they were all sitting around the table chatting while they munched on some muggle food that her sister supplied.

"So Hermione I see that you've been busy since we last spoke. A husband and two babies, how did you manage it? Your babies are beautiful by the way!"

"Thank you Nicki! Professor Dumbledore asked us to marry to protect me from danger. Then we fell in love and started a family five years later."

"You mean protect you from the people that killed mom and dad?" Her sister blurted out.

Hermione swallowed her bite of cake and looked at her sister's face. Her sister turned red and looked down at her lap, "I'm sorry sis! I don't blame you. I just miss them and you're moving on with your life and I'm not. I haven't so much as gotten a letter from you in years."

To Hermione's dismay, her sister burst into tears. "Oh Nicki, I'm sorry! I didn't realize that you wanted me to write to you. You were so angry at the funeral and I just thought that you didn't want to hear from me anymore." She stood and wrapped her arms around her sister.

"Oh Hermione I was angry at first, but after I realized that I was just hurt I tried to find you but couldn't. I didn't know how to contact your world." Nicki pulled out a handkerchief and blew her nose.

Hermione thought for a few seconds before she picked up her daughter, "Hey Nicki, would you like to hold you're niece?"

Nicki smiled as she took the baby from Hermione. "This one is…?" She asked Hermione after she had held her for a while.

"That one is Olivia." Hermione responded as her sister nodded.

"Well aren't you just precious Olivia." She handed the baby back to Hermione and walked towards Severus and Vivian.

She reached out to hold Vivian but the little girl clung to Severus's neck. Hermione thought this was odd because Vivian went to everyone. She was beginning to think that something was really wrong when her sister made the mistake that told all.

"What's wrong Vivian? Don't you want to come to your aunt Nicki?" she said with her arms outstretched. She stuck out her bottom lip and pretended to have hurt feelings.

"Hang on a second!" Hermione looked at her in shock for a few seconds. Nicki turned and looked at her. "How did you know her name?"

"The man told me!" She said as she laughed and swung her hair around her shoulder. She looked a lot like Hermione but she had blue eyes and her hair was not nearly as bushy.

"What man Nicki?" Hermione said as she crossed the room to stand beside of Severus.

"The man that told me how to find you!" Nicki said her smile falling as she noticed the scarred look in Hermione and Severus's eyes. "Why what's wrong?"

Hermione looked at Severus before turning back to her sister, "Nicki what did this man look like?"

"He was tall with blond hair and grey eyes. Luke I think was his name. He told me that you were married with two girls and told me their names. He even showed me how to send you the letter!"

Hermione felt her pulse racing. She should have figured something like this when she read the letter. She hadn't spoke to her sister so how else would she have known that she had nieces.

"I'm sorry Nicki! We have to go." Hermione turned and made for the door.

"Go. But why?" Nicki asked as she too stepped towards the door.

"That man that told you about us, he's been trying to kill us for years." Nicki's eyes went wide when Hermione said that last part. She started repeating the word's, "I'm so sorry!" over and over again.

"He told me he was a friend. He said that you were friends with his wife and helped with his daughter." Hermione let out a deep breath when she heard the last part. It hadn't dawned on her that it could have been Draco. But why would he claim to be a man named Luke?

"Did he give you his baby's name?" Severus asked her as Vivian, who had noticed the stress in the room, whimpered in his arms.

"Yes he said her name was Payton. His wife's name was Mary."

Hermione sighed and chuckled to herself as she walked back over to her sister and hugged her.

"I'm sorry Nicki. It's Dra…Luke's father that's after us."

Nicki wiped her eyes and giggled.

They spent the rest of the evening laughing and joking. It was about 9 when they heard a crash from upstairs.

"What was that?" Nicki asked as she stood. Hermione stood beside of Severus.

"Avada Kadavra!" They heard a voice cry before Hermione's sister hit the floor.

"No! Nicki!" Hermione screamed. Severus grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her out of the house. Once they were on the street, she held Olivia to her and Severus held Vivian as they ran. Once they were in a safe spot, Severus apparated them to the Hogwarts gates.

Hermione felt numb. She had been given her sister back only to lose her the same way as she had lost her parents. She sat their unable to feel anything as Severus gave Dumbledore the report before they left and apparated back home.

Once they were home Hermione tucked her sleeping babies in and collapsed on her bed. She couldn't feel or think. She just stared at the ceiling, wishing that the end was near. She finally fell into a deep sleep.

----

The next morning Hermione fixed breakfast for her family before Marietta came running in with her baby in hysterics.

"Mary what happened?" Hermione took Payton and handed her to Severus. She took Mary by the shoulders and held her.

"D-Draco! He came home this morning and didn't say a word. He just walked and put his hands around my throat. When I looked into his eyes it wasn't him. I saw Lucius. I saw Draco too. I'm afraid that once Lucius releases him from the spell that Draco will hurt himself. I don't know what to do Hermione. I don't know what to do!" Mary burst into tears again as Severus set Payton in the floor beside of Vivian.

"Is he still their Mary?" Mary nodded and Severus walked out the door and headed towards Draco's house.

Hermione set Mary down and set a cup of tea in front of her. "Don't worry. Severus will help him."

Mary nodded and watched her baby.

----

"Draco!" Severus bellowed as he entered the house. It was clear that Draco was fighting his father. The house was trashed.

He found Draco in the floor of the bathroom. Draco looked up when he entered and he could see the eyes flashing. One second he was looking at Lucius and the next Draco.

"Severus…run…I don't want…to hurt you…can't control…he won't…stop!" he heard Draco gasp as his eyes flashed.

Severus got to his knees in front of Draco.

"Draco listen to me carefully. You can fight him. Think of your family and when you are happiest. Now think of the beatings that you're father gave you. Now concentrate hard. Push him out of your mind so that your family doesn't suffer from his beatings. You don't want Payton to go through what you went through."

Draco screamed and squirmed in pain as he fought to push Lucius out of his mind. Finally after what seemed like hours of struggle Draco slumped against the wall, breathing hard.

Severus wasn't sure if Lucius had taken over him completely or if Draco had finally pushed him out of his mind, "Draco?"

"He found out Severus. He cursed me and forced me to choke Marietta. He told me that once she was dead he was going to kill Payton." Draco took a deep breath but couldn't stop the tears that fell down his cheeks. He wiped his face but couldn't stop the flood. He continued on, "I finally gained control enough to let her go and tell her to run. I…I didn't w…want t…to hurt h…her!" Draco finally collapsed on the floor.

"Their both okay Draco. She and Payton are with Hermione." Draco took a deep breath but continued to lie there. "I'm sorry about Nicole. He invaded my mind and found her. I tried to warn you but he got their first. That's how he found out about Mary. He found out that I was helping you and he…" Draco stopped and curled up on the floor.

"It's ok Draco. We need to go to Dumbledore." Severus helped Draco off the floor and went to tell Dumbledore everything that had happened.

----

Dumbledore had promised to protect them all but they weren't allowed to stay in their own homes anymore. For now they were to move into the Hogwarts rooms. Draco became Severus's assistant and Mary agreed to help Ginny and Poppy in the infirmary. Since Poppy was the only healer left on their side she was not only treating the Hogwarts injuries but also the injuries of the Order Members.

They were happy and safe. And for the next 6 years that would be how they remained.

----

Author's note: Sorry I know this chapter sucks but I had to put them back at Hogwarts for the next chapter. Besides I think poor Poppy need's all the help she can get right now. The next chapter will be a lot longer but it will start really boring so bare with me! It will start getting more exciting soon.


	15. Dreams can become a Reality!

Rest in Pieces

By JennyRice07

Summary: 6 years later.

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Author's note: This chapter starts six years later. It should be the longest of them all.

Thanks to FireChildSlytherin5 for fixing this chapter. You're the best!

Chapter 14

Dreams can become a Reality!

"Poppy! Ginny! Someone I need help!" Severus ran into the hospital wing with Vivian in his arms.

"Severus what happened?" Poppy and Ginny both came running out of the office. Ever since the night that Vivian was born Ginny had worked with Poppy. Harry had taken the Defense Against the Dark Arts job. She and Harry had two children now. James Sirius, who was born the same night as Olivia, and now they had a two month old daughter named Lilly Rose. Draco and Marietta were also there. Draco had taken over teaching the first 3 years of Potions and Severus taught the last four years. Mary was Poppy's assistant. They stayed in the infirmary two at a time while the other would watch the nursery, which seemed to be growing quickly since Mary had just learned that she and Draco where expecting again. Mary must have been in charge of the nursery today.

"She ate some peanuts at the staff party!" It was the end of the year and Albus always through a staff party the day after the students leave. Vivian was allergic to peanuts and had swallowed some when not one was looking. When Severus found her, her throat had already swollen shut.

Poppy administered a potion to her and instantly her reaction went away.

---

"Ok! That's the last of it." Hermione had finished cleaning the Transfiguration room. She loved teaching but somehow in the mist of it all she had let her room really pile up the junk. Hermione walked into her office and started cleaning out her desk. She looked up and saw the four pictures that she had framed. She had the one of her parents, of course. Then there was the one of Harry, Ginny, Ron, and herself. The third was of her wedding. She and Severus were smiling at one another and dancing. Ginny had snapped that one at their first dance. The final picture was the newest. This picture was of her beautiful babies. Every now and then the Wedding Severus and Hermione would walk to that picture and play with the kids. As she thought back over the last six years, she had to sigh. They had been the best six years of her life.

She loved her daughters. Little Vivian had Severus's hair, and Hermione's eyes. Vivian had kept her hair cut short since she was little, which had earned her some nasty remarks about being a boy from Payton. Hermione asked her why she cut her hair short once; Vivian had replied that when her hair was long it would get in the way of reading. She had Hermione's personality and had learned to read at a young age. She was usually found in the library reading some random book. She was only six but had the brains of a much older person. The only time Vivian seemed to get in trouble was when she and Olivia were playing with Payton. Payton being a troublemaker herself often got her girls into very long timeouts. She had defiantly taken after Draco.

Olivia could be a clone of her daddy. She looked nothing like Hermione, she even had Severus's snarky attitude. Often she was found in random hallways pretending to be Argus Filch. Although he never said anything about Olivia pretending to yell at students like he did, Filch had often come to Severus and she to demand that she stop barking at Mrs. Norris, claiming that if she scratched or bite Olivia, he held no responsibility. It seemed that no matter how many times Hermione scolded her for this, Olivia just wouldn't listen. Other teacher's were already dreading when Olivia would become their student.

When they first moved in, Hermione, Mary, and Ginny turned the room of requirement into a nursery for the children and eventually turned to a small school where they taught them the basics such as reading and writing.

Hermione and Severus lived in the suits in the dudgeons during the school year, instead of the Transfiguration suits. They had decided that the girls were less likely to get into trouble in the dungeons and the rooms were just bigger.

Hermione looked up to see Severus standing in the doorway with Vivian. He didn't look happy. In fact, he looked really angry. Hermione looked at her daughter. The little girl's face looked red and swollen. It glistened in the light from the tears that were hanging from her nose and chin. It was apparent that something had happened. Hermione opened her arms and her daughter flew into them. Hermione shushed her and rubbed her back. She stood up with Vivian and walked to Severus.

"What happened?" She asked. She could feel that Vivian calm down so she set her in the floor. Vivian walked over to the bookcase and put her head against the wood frame. She used her index finger to trace the title on one of the books but wouldn't look up to meet her parents' eyes.

Hermione tried not to smile when she remembered the first time she had to scold Vivian. She had just turned 3 when Hermione walked into her office to find every book in her bookcase was in the floor. Hermione had taken her desert away for a week. Needless to say that Vivian never touched her bookcase again without asking.

She looked from her daughter to Severus. Severus looked at Vivian, "Do you want me to tell her or do you want too little lady?"

Hermione could hear her baby cry a little harder when she answered, "You tell her daddy!"

"Your daughter thought it would be cool to join in a contest with her sister and Payton to see who could eat the most peanuts. Now why she did it when she knows that she's allergic to peanuts is beyond my knowledge. I would expect this out of Olivia but not Vivian. I'm very disappointed. If she keeps acting like this she'll end up in Hufflepuff for sure!" Severus glanced over at his daughter whose shoulders were shaking with her quiet sobs. He felt his heart soften as he watched his daughter accept his criticism without a word. With a look at Hermione, who had crossed her arms leant back against the wall, he walked over and lifted his baby into his arms. Vivian wrapped her arms around his neck and held on. Severus could feel her hot tears splashing off his neck as he rubbed circles in her back to calm her. After a few minutes he set her back down.

Severus could barely hear Vivian's words between the sobs and the hiccups, "I didn't mean too daddy! I don't want to be in Hufflepuff!" At the word Hufflepuff, she wailed loudly and tightened her death grip on Severus's neck.

"You won't be in Hufflepuff baby. Daddy wouldn't allow that." He continued to rub circles on her back as he calmed her down. After several minutes he set her on her feet. Vivian wiped the tears from her eyes as she glanced at her mother.

Hermione motioned for Vivian to come to her. Vivian walked over in a way that would suggest that one was on death row. Her hair swung gently around her ears. She would be begging for a hair cut soon, Hermione knew. "Vivian, why did you eat those peanuts?" Hermione stared into her own eyes as her daughter looked at her.

"Because Payton told me she would dunk my head in the punch bowl if I didn't. Then when I said no she grabbed…" Vivian stopped and turned red as she realized what she had gave away. Her eyes became wide and she quickly looked down at the floor.

"Vivian, did Payton force you to eat those peanuts?" Hermione asked softly. When Vivian nodded, Hermione swore to have a word with Draco about Payton's behavior. "Sweetheart, when are you going to learn to speak up for yourself and not let Livy and Payton bully you. Livy was involved with this wasn't she?" Hermione watched her daughter carefully as she waited for the answer.

"Yes. She held my mouth open." Vivian started crying again as she gave away that last bit of her story. Hermione sighed as she stood and picked her up. She handed her to Severus with the instructions to give her a calming potion to help her sleep and to put her to bed. Then she went to go look for her youngest daughter.

---

She found Payton and Olivia barking Mrs. Norris.

"Olivia! Payton!" Hermione watched as the girls eyes widened. "You two come with me." The girls followed her to her office. Once inside Mary joined them and locked the door. They both Mary and Hermione rounded on the girls.

"I can't believe you would do that to Vivian!" Hermione growled at her youngest daughter.

"What were you thinking Payton? You could have killed her! Why do you have to act this way?" Mary had Payton by the arm and was shaking her slightly. She had found that this was the only way to get through to her. "You just wait until I tell your father!"

Payton's eyes rounded and filled with tears, "No!"

"Yes. You know better than this Payton."

"No better than what?" Draco asked as he walked into Hermione's office. He survived the scene and sensed that Payton and Olivia had gotten into trouble again. He just hoped that he wouldn't get a knock from Filch again tonight. "What did you do Payton?" he demanded.

"Our daughter," Mary said as she shoved Payton towards Draco. Payton wouldn't meet his eyes, "forced Vivian to eat peanuts when she knew that Vivian was allergic to them. Vivian's throat swelled closed and Severus had to take her to the infirmary."

Draco put his hands on his hips as he glared at his daughter, "Payton Marie! Why did you do that! You know better. You wait until I get you home!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the door, "You're lucky I don't make you pick a switch off the Whomping Willow!" He turned to Hermione and offered his apology for his daughter's behavior and promised to deal with her as he and Mary left the room.

Once the door shut Hermione rounded on Olivia again. Olivia was sitting on the couch were Mary and Hermione had sat she and Payton. Now that Payton was gone she stood and walked over to the Hermione's desk.

"What were you thinking? You know your sister is allergic to peanuts. Why would you do such a mean thing?" Hermione sat and the couch and watched as her daughter fiddled with the ceramic cat that Hermione's mother had given her when she was Vivian's age. Olivia didn't cry like Vivian. She just shrugged her shoulders and continued to study the cat.

"Olivia look at me!" Hermione grabbed Olivia's arm and pulled the little girl in front of her. Olivia hadn't expected Hermione to grab her and she dropped the cat. Hermione said a word that she shouldn't have said in front of her daughter as she mended the cat and set it back on her desk. She pulled Olivia closer towards her until the girl was standing between Hermione's legs. She placed her hands on Olivia's shoulders and kept eye contact with her, "Olivia, I want to know why you did this?"

Olivia shrugged her mother's hands off, "I don't know!" She took a few steps back and huffed. She crossed her arms and glared at her mother. "I can't help it if Vivian is a wimp."

Hermione pulled Olivia back in front of her. This time she held her arms near the shoulder's trying to get her point across. "Olivia your sister is not being a wimp. Her throat swells closed and she couldn't breathe. You know what happens when you can't breathe? You die! You don't want your sister to die do you?" Olivia shook her head. "Then I don't want to ever hear about you doing anything like this again. You made your sister very sick. "

Olivia just stared at her. Hermione wondered what she did to create such an uncaring child. She truly was Severus's daughter. Hermione stood up to show Olivia who was the boss, "I expect you to apologize to your sister when she wakes up."

Olivia rolled her eyes then nodded. Hermione figured that was the best she was going to get so she led her daughter back to their rooms. She knew that Severus was going to get his say in, but she hoped that she had given him enough time to calm down a little.

Hermione realized that her daughter was not afraid of her, but she was terrified of her father's anger. Then again who wouldn't be? As they entered their rooms, Hermione could feel Olivia shake when she saw her father glare at her and stand up. Hermione noticed that the little girl was getting closer and closer to Hermione the closer they came to Severus. By the time they were standing beside them, Olivia had her back pressed to her mother's legs.

"Olivia Paige, you have some explaining to do little lady!" Severus used the tone he often used when his students blew up cauldrons. It was deep and smooth and full of sarcasm.

"Payton made me do it daddy! She told me she wouldn't play with me anymore." Olivia's eyes were huge as she pressed herself flat against Hermione. Hermione decided to let Severus deal with this and not let Olivia think that she was going to protect her when she did wrong, so Hermione took a few steps backwards. Olivia stumbled and fell on her rear end. She quickly recovered and stood up. Hermione could see the little girl shake as her father stood in front of her.

This was one of the reasons why Hermione had opted to find Olivia and deal with her first. Severus was known for his temper and Hermione wanted him to calm down before he disciplined Olivia.

Hermione watched as Severus chewed his cheek to keep for yelling. He swallowed and took a deep breath, "So you think that playing with Payton is more important than your sister's life? Is that it? You're going to kill your sister but its okay because you can play with Payton."

Olivia started to argue but all she was able to get out was the word no before Severus interrupted her again.

"I think that you need to be separated from Payton for a while. No desert. No witchy dolls. No playtime. And no Payton until I say. Understand?" Severus crossed his arms.

"This isn't the reason she gave me Severus. Olivia said that Vivian was a wimp." Hermione stood against the wall as she studied her husband and daughter.

"And why would she be that Olivia?" Severus's tone was even deadlier.

"All she ever does is read. She never plays cause she's too scared of getting in trouble. She's a baby. Every time she gets close to a peanut she has to go to the hospital. It won't hurt her to eat a few. She's just faking it." Olivia crossed her arms and tilted her head backwards to look at her father.

In one swift movement Severus lifted her off the ground by her armpits. Olivia gasped and grabbed at his hands. Severus put his face a few inches from Olivia's. He spoke very quietly and shook her just enough to make his point, "One peanut, just ONE PEANUT is enough to cause Vivian's throat to close. It's enough to make her stop breathing. When you quit breathing you die! Therefore one peanut, is enough to KILL your sister. Is that what you want Olivia? You want your sister dead so that you can play with Payton? Is it?"

Olivia shook her head, "No daddy! I don't want Vivian dead!"

"Then why do act this way Olivia. I'm almost embarrassed to call you my daughter. You're as smart as your sister, but you do the stupidest things." Severus set Olivia down on the floor, and then took a few steps back, "You get caught pretending to be Argus, you torture his cat, and you torment your sister. You can't behave for one minute. All the other teachers are already dreading having you as a student. I'm tired of having to apologize to Argus every night. I'm tired of having to make excuses for why you act the way you do. You embarrass our family Olivia. When are you going to quit acting so childish and grow up?" Severus turned and put his arms on the fireplace mantle. He hadn't meant to say that. He hated when he lost his temper with his girls, but he felt that Olivia needed to know that she couldn't act that way. He took a few breaths to settle his anger, "Go to bed Olivia. And don't you dare wake your sister. I don't want to hear a peep from your room!"

----

Olivia turned and ran towards her room. She couldn't help the flood of tears. Her dad had called her an embarrassment. He said she embarrassed the family. All she did was feed her sister a lousy peanut. She closed the door and collapsed on the bed. The tears just kept coming. No toys. No fun. No friends. This summer was going to suck and it was all Vivian's fault. Olivia turned her head to look at her sister's bed. Vivian was asleep. She was breathing alright. Olivia stood up and walked toward Vivian's bed. Her face did look puffy. Olivia sighed and went to sleep.

------

"I didn't mean to sound so harsh. Do you think I was too hard on her Mione?" Severus asked still standing beside the fireplace. He didn't look up.

Hermione strolled over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his back. "No. We've got to do something to get through to her Severus. She's going to get hurt or hurt someone."

Severus sighed and turned at enclose her in his arms. They stood there for several moments holding one another with Severus resting his head on hers. He kissed her forehead and pulled her towards the bedroom. He needed something to relieve the stress from the day and he knew exactly what he needed. She giggled as he tossed her on the bed and kissed her. She kissed back as she pulled his shirt above his head. He set back and pulled it off, before he started unbuttoning hers. After he had her shirt off he unclasped her bra and it joined their shirts on the floor. She unzipped his pants and pulled them down leaving him with only his black boxers on. He pulled her skirt down and took off her panties.

When he had her completely naked, he tore off his own boxer's. They had learned years ago that if they had foreplay beforehand, one of the girls would wake up and they wouldn't finish. For that reason they skipped everything and went straight to it.

Severus climbed over top of her and placed his aching member at her entrance. She moved her hips towards him as he caught her mouth with his. Tongues entwined and explored each other's mouth as he drove into her with a single hard thrust. She cried out at the pleasure and bucked her hips.

Severus continued to pound into her and soon he felt her tighten around him as she fell into a world of ecstasy. He came soon after and joined her as they snuggled together.

Hermione sighed and traced circles on his chest. He kissed her forehead and they both fell into a deep sleep.

----

"I'm sorry! I didn't do it on purpose. I'm sorry." Hermione awoke to the sounds of screaming coming from her daughter's room. At first she thought that Vivian had awakened and that they were fighting, then she realized that the only voice she heard was Olivia. She must be having a nightmare.

"I'm going to kill that girl! If she doesn't hush she's going to wake all the bloody Slytherins! " Severus growled as he rolled over.

"I think it's a nightmare. I'll go check." Hermione wrapped her robe around her and went to the girl's room. She was right Olivia was having a nightmare. Vivian was sitting on her bed looking at her sister fearfully. Hermione assured her it was only a nightmare told Vivian to go back to sleep. Olivia was crying in her sleep. Hermione sat at the edge of the bed and stroked her hair. When that didn't seem to work, she lifted Olivia in her arms. The little girl cried harder. Hermione picked her up and left the room. She met Severus in the hallway.

"I'm going to take her to my office to see if I can calm her down and so we Vivy can go back to sleep." Severus nodded and went back to bed.

Hermione entered her office and set Olivia on the couch. She shut the door and turned on the light. She picked the little one up and set her on her feet as an attempt to wake her. The cold tile floor seemed to do the trick. Olivia was awake but she continued to cry and now she covered her eyes. Hermione pulled her close and cuddled her. She rubbed her back and soothed her long frizzy hair. Unlike Vivian, Olivia had long frizzy brown hair. It was the only thing she had inherited from Hermione. After a few minutes she quieted and pulled away. She wiped her eyes and continued to hiccup.

"What were you dreaming about Livy?" Hermione reached out and rubbed her baby's arm.

Olivia sniffled and peered at her mother, "I gave Vivy a peanut and she couldn't breathe. Daddy said that I embarrassed him so he left us. She was turning colors and that man showed up. He said I did it. He said I killed my sister and that I was a bad girl. He hit me. Then he hit me again and Daddy was there and he didn't stop him. Daddy was too embarrassed to help me." Then Olivia burst into tears.

Hermione shushed her and pulled her close again, "What man Olivia?"

Hermione held a tissue up to Olivia's nose and wiped the snot away. She often forgot how fragile little ones are. They can be so tough during the day and one nightmare can keep them up all night. Olivia coughed and struggled for a breath. When she could breathe clearly again she climbed into Hermione's lap. Hermione wrapped her arms around her baby and Olivia clung to Hermione's neck.

"It was the man you and Daddy and Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry and Uncle Draco and Aunt Mary talk about."

Hermione pulled Olivia back a few inches to see her face, "What man? Do you know him? Have you ever seen him before? What does he look like?"

"He's the one with the long blond hair. He has the walking stick that has a snake at the top."

Realizing that her daughter was referring to Lucius Malfoy, Hermione felt panic growing in her gut. "Olivia have you ever seen this man in person before?"

"Yes."

"When? When did you see him baby?"

"A week ago. He was down at the forest. I know you told me not to go down there but Payton wouldn't listen and I didn't want her to get hurt. He was there. When we saw him we ran back."

----

"Severus! Severus get up!" Hermione shook him not so gently.

"It's not even daylight yet Mione." Sev said as he rolled back over.

"No Severus its Olivia. Get up!" Hermione was really scared. Lucius was still at large and the thought of him being so close to one of her children terrified her.

"What is it?" Severus sat up and looked at her.

"She was having a dream about Lucius Malfoy hitting her. She said she saw him a week ago down next to the forest."

Severus jumped out of bed and walked into the living room. Olivia set on the couch with her head down. Severus walked over to her, "Olivia did you see a man with blond hair?"

Olivia didn't look up, which was unusual for her. She was the child that always made eye contact. She didn't answer him either, she just nodded her head.

"Olivia, where did you see this man?" Severus was right in front of her. He sat on the coffee table and looked at her.

Olivia spoke so softly that it almost seemed like she was whispering, "By the forest. Payton wanted to go down there and I said no, but she went anyway. I didn't want her to go alone because what if she got hurt. I'm sorry!"

Severus could hear her tears in her voice. Olivia never cried when she was scared or upset. She cried when she was angry, but never any other time. Severus put his hand under her chin and gently lifted her face. She was shivering slightly but she looked frightened and exhausted. "Olivia, have you had other dreams like this one?"

Olivia nodded and her eyes glistened in the fire light from the fireplace. "It's always him hitting me because I'm a bad girl. I can really feel him hit me. This one was worse!"

"Where does he hit you?" Severus leaned forward a bit. He was afraid that Lucius had cast the Dream Interference charm. There was only one way to tell if he had or not.

"On my back and my stomach and my chest. Sometimes I can't breathe and then I wake up, but it still hurts!"

"Is that where he hit you at tonight?"

Olivia nodded. Severus pulled her to him and pushed her shirt up revealing a fist size bruise on her stomach and another one on her back and one on her chest. Severus held her close and carried her to Albus.

"I have to take her to Albus. I'll be back in a while."

---

"Warheads!" '_What a funny password_!' Severus thought as he rode the staircase up to Albus's office. It was supposed to be some sort of sour muggle candy that Albus liked. He shifted Olivia to one arm and knocked on Albus's door.

The door opened and Severus heard Dumbledore say "enter". He walked in and found Albus sitting at his desk. Without looking up Dumbledore asked, "What can I do for you Severus?"

"It's my daughter headmaster." Severus said as he walked over to Albus's desk.

Albus looked up and his eyes twinkled as he saw the little girl in Severus's arms. "Hello little Olivia. What is wrong Severus?"

Severus explained the story and showed Albus the bruised. He noticed that the one on her chest was a lot redder and even more swollen than before. The other two had almost vanished.

Severus explained about Olivia seeing Lucius down by the forest and about his suspicions about the Dream Interference charm.

"That's a very good theory Severus. I hope that we are mistaken. There is no cure for that curse. Well except for skilled Occumency of course, but you can't teach that to a five year old." Albus stood and paced his office.

Albus and Severus discussed what had to be done. After about ten minutes, Olivia started gasping for breath. Severus noticed that her whole chest was swollen now and the bruise extended from her sternum to her throat. Albus instructed him to take her to Poppy immediately.

----

"Poppy!" Severus ran into the infirmary with Olivia in his arms. Albus had gone to fetch Hermione and he had instructed the head girl to watch Vivian.

Olivia had passed out on the way to the infirmary. Her face was blue and she had gone limp in his arms. Poppy took the girl from his arms and placed her on an exam table. Ginny and Mary joined her. The three worked quickly trying to get her breathing again.

Albus rushed in with a ghost colored Hermione. She ran to Severus and held him. They both watched in horror as their youngest baby hung on to life by a thread. Finally they heard Olivia cough and gasp for breath. Her face was still blue and she was trembling.

Poppy busied herself in examining the bruises as Albus explained the situation. Mary left to fetch Poppy a potion from the store room and Ginny held Olivia's hand and stroked her hair to calm her. Mary came back with the bottle. Poppy took it and explained to Sev and Hermione that she had to administer the potion through and IV in the arm.

Ginny prepared the IV and Poppy started the potion. The bruise on her chest seemed to gradually shrink as the potion flowed into Olivia's veins. The little girl was still gasping slightly. Hermione stood on one side of her stroking her hair and Severus held her hand on the other. After about 3 hours the bruise had disappeared altogether. Olivia's breathing still wasn't any better so Severus questioned Poppy.

"It seems that Lucius has broken one of Olivia's ribs and a piece of that rib is lodged into her left lung. I have to dissolve the piece before I can heal her lung. It will take a lot of work but I'll start on it in a few minutes."

True to her word, before the day was over Olivia was breathing fine and her lung was healing. Vivian had been brought into the infirmary to be checked over. Ginny did this for them and declared that she was all better from her ordeal yesterday. Hermione kissed Olivia's forehead and left with Vivian. Severus was left alone with Olivia. Olivia hadn't met his eye since he had taken her to Dumbledore's office. Severus reached out to touch her shoulder and the little one jumped away.

Severus set in a chair and held her hand, "Livy, baby tell daddy what your dream was about."

Olivia purposely looked in the opposite direction. She spoke quietly, "I gave Vivy a peanut and she started turning blue and you were there and you said I was an embarrassment and then that man was there and he said I killed Vivy and that I was bad and he hit me and you were there, but I embarrassed you too bad and you wouldn't stop him, so he kept hitting me daddy!"

Severus groaned and closed his eyes. He knew he shouldn't have said that. He stood and played with her hair, "Olivia listen, Daddy was mad when he said that ok! You know I didn't mean it. You never embarrass me that bad. I would never let anyone hurt you because I was mad. I just get really mad and I can't control my temper. Daddy loves you Olivia. Daddy loves you and Vivian more than anything. I would never let anyone hurt either or you if I could help it. Remember that ok! Daddy loves you!" Olivia turned her head back to his and her eyes glistened with unshed tears and she squeezed his hand.

"I love you too daddy!"

------

Hermione replaced the last of the books in their study. She had taken them all out and dusted them. She set on the floor and stared at her hands in her lap. Olivia had been home from the infirmary for a few weeks now. She had thought they were safe at Hogwarts. He had found them here. Hermione closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Something wrong?" Severus asked as he entered the study.

"How much longer until he kills one of us? I mean what if he would have killed Olivia and Payton. How much longer can he torment us?" Hermione just continued to stare at her hands.

"I don't know Mione."

Severus wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hair. The girls were in class with the teacher that they had all decided on. Hermione leant back into his embrace and closed her eyes. He kissed her neck.

Suddenly they heard a knock and the door open to reveal a terrified Draco.

"The girls are gone!"

----

Author's note: Sorry about the cliff hanger!!! So tell me, what do you think has happened to the girls. Review please. Love and Brownies to you all.


	16. Fighting Back! Part 1

Rest in Pieces

By JennyRice07

Summary: Find out who took the girls!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Author's note: I'm sorry it's taking so long for me to post new chapters. I'm having some writer's block and my grades are falling. I'll try and get the next chapter up soon!Please Review. My numbers were down from the last chapter. Makes me Sad!:'(

Thanks to FireChildSlytherin5 for Beta reading this for me!

Chapter 15

Fighting Back

Vivian strained her eyes as she looked around the dark cell. She held her sister close to her and rubbed her back as she cried. Payton cowered in the corner beside them.

Vivian closed her eyes again and replayed the event in her mind. They had been sitting in class when a man in a mask blew the door down with his wand. He then pointed his wand at the teacher before she could react and a green streak hit her in the chest. Vivian had watched as their teacher had fallen to the floor dead. She recognized the curse as one of the unforgivable she had read about in her mother's old school books.

The man in the mask had grabbed for Olivia. Two more men in masks were behind him. One grabbed Payton and the other grabbed herself. She didn't remember anything else. She had awoke several hours later.

----

"I'm not waiting anymore Albus! I've played your games. I've been the spy. I've gotten you the information. I've put my life in danger for you more times than I can count. I'm not doing it this time. These are my girls we're talking about. These are my girls' lives that we're discussing! I'm not going to sit here. It's been two hours already!" Severus slammed his fist on Albus's desk. His face was red from his anger. The fact that Albus could sit there and act so calm when his girls were gone was more than he could take. He turned away from the headmaster and glanced at Hermione. She was sitting next to Marietta on the couch. Both of them were shivering and holding on to each other for support. Draco was standing in the corner. It looked as though he was watching out the window, but Severus knew he wasn't. He had the right to be more worried than Severus. His father had his daughter. The same man that had ordered him to kill his wife.

"I understand that you're daughters are missing Severus. We are doing all we can to locate them. If you go running after him, he'll lead you into a trap and who's going to save your girls when you are dead? Please be patient Severus. We do not know where he has taken them." Albus spoke in his usual calm voice. Probably as much to calm him as it was to reassure Hermione and Marietta.

Draco, who hadn't spoken one word the whole time they'd been in Dumbledore's office, spoke up. "I know where he has them!" His voice was quiet. Severus could hear the panic growing. He turned from the window and meet Severus's eye before turning to Albus.

"It's where he takes all of his prisoners. He has them in the dungeons at Malfoy Manner." Mary gasped from the couch. Severus turned towards her. Her face was the color of snow. If she wasn't breathing she would look like a corpse.

Albus studied Draco for a few moments before nodding. "If you're sure, then I'll send you and Severus. I think Mary and Hermione should stay here—"

"No!" Hermione cried out, "I want to go! I want to be there! I want to find my daughters! Severus and Draco can go after Lucius and I'll go after the girls. Mary should stay with Poppy and Ginny in the infirmary!"

"Very well! Be careful!"

---

Vivian heard the door open from upstairs. Olivia immediately quieted as they listened to the footsteps coming down the stairs. Payton scooted closer and wrapped her arms around Vivian too.

The footsteps stopped at the bottom of the stairs. The room was still pitch black so Vivian couldn't see who was there.

A bright light was suddenly shined in her eyes as the stranger pointed the wand towards her. She could hear two more sets of footsteps descending the stairs. The light left her eyes and stopped at Olivia then Payton.

"Very good Wormtail! Two of these are Snape's! Who is the third one I wonder?"

"I do not know my lord!"

"Hmmm. Take her!" The man with the wand demanded as he pointed his wand at Payton's face.

"No!" Vivian grabbed for Payton and held her tight as the man entered the cell. She still couldn't see. She wasn't strong enough and she could hear Payton scream as the man drug her up the stairs.

"What about the others my Lord?" Vivian heard another voice speak.

"Leave them for now. Snape will come! It's him that I want! With any luck he'll bring the mudblood with him."

"Don't talk about my Mommy like that!" Olivia yelled out before Vivian could stop her. The light turned back towards her.

"Cruico!" Olivia screamed as her body thrashed. He lifted the curse quickly, "Maybe next time you'll not speak until you are spoken to!" He turned and ascended the stairs with the other man behind him. When the door shut Olivia let out a wail.

She was lieing on the floor. Vivian watched as she tried to set up but her muscles were too weak. That spell was not meant for a child. Vivian pulled her into a sitting position and held her.

"Where did they take Payton?"

"I don't know Livy. I don't know!"

---

"Ok the first thing we need to do is to break through the intruder charm." Draco stated as they studied the map he had made of his house. "Once we've done that we need to find a way into the house. Don't use the front door because it has a stunning charm installed. The x's on the map represent some form of a trap that you need to avoid. He may have installed more. Just be cautious and avoid anything that looks suspicious."

Hermione cast the charm on them to allow them to break through the intruder charm. Once they were clear they split up. Hermione was going straight to the basement. Severus was heading for the left wind and Draco was headed for the right wing.

She found a window that lead into the kitchen. Once she had unlocked it she snuck in. The door to the basement was directly to her left. She unlocked the door and crept down the stairs. The stairway was dark. The door slammed behind her making her jump. She stood still for several seconds listening. Either her girls weren't here or they were hurt so badly that they couldn't make a sound. She continued to creep down the stairs towards the ground.

---

Payton screamed as the man drug her up the stairs. He picked her up and carried her up a long hallway and then another set of stairs. He sat her on her feet and chains emerged from the floor and walls, trapping her against the wall. Payton cried out. The man walked away leaving her alone. After a few minutes the man with the light entered the room.

"Hmmm. I wonder what you're father will say when he realizes that I have you. It's funny really. After six years I finally meet my granddaughter. It's a shame that you're mother is a mudblood. You're very pretty. Look just like your grandmother in fact. You could have made the Malfoy name proud!"

He pointed his wand at her. Suddenly pain waves enveloped her whole body and she screamed. Suddenly she heard a woman cry, "Stop!"

The pain stopped and Payton opened her eyes. There was a blonde woman standing beside the man.

"That is enough Lucius!"

"Narcissa do not interfere!"

"Do not tell me what to do Lucius! This may be my only granddaughter and you will not hurt her again!" The woman raised her wand and the chains released Payton. Her first instinct was to run but the woman picked her up. She carried her to a room across the hallway and shut the door. This room was nice. There were comfy couches and a cozy fireplace.

"Hello sweet heart! What is your name?" The lady sat on the couch and smiled at her.

"Payton." She answered.

The woman pulled her close and hugged her, "Don't worry Payton darling, Grandmother Malfoy won't let him hurt you again." The woman told her.

---

Vivian stilled as she heard the door slam again. Her heart pounded against her chest as she clutched her sister tighter. Olivia saw a light like the one the man had coming from the stairs. The footsteps started again but they were slower than any of the men's. It almost seemed like the person was afraid.

When the footsteps reached the bottom the light was pointed in her eyes again. Olivia whimpered for a second. Then they heard a sound that was heaven to the girls.

"Vivian! Olivia!" It was their mother speaking their names!

---

Author's note: Will Lucius stand for Narcissa to interfere with his plans? Can she keep Payton safe from him? How will Hermione get the girls out of the basement and let Severus know that they are alright? Find out next time!


	17. Fighting Back Part 2

Rest in Pieces

By JennyRice07

Summary: Read and find out!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Author's note: Thanks to all of my wonderful reviewers. This should only have 4 more chapters after this one if I'm lucky. That way my story will be exactly 20 chapters. Please read and review! I know this chapter sucks, but just hang with me the next chapter will be up soon.

Thanks to my Beta FireChildSlytherin5!

Chapter 16

Fighting Back Part II

"Vivian! Olivia!" Hermione called out when she spotted her daughters cowering on the floor. She took a minute to look over them both and could feel the relief building that they were both unharmed. It did alarm her however when she noticed that they were alone.

"Mommy!" both girls cried and jumped up running to the cell door.

"Where is Payton?" Hermione asked as she quickly unlocked the door to the cell.

"That man took her!" Olivia answered. As the cell door opened both of her daughters flung themselves into her arms. She felt the tears streaming down her face as she held them. She didn't attempt to stop them because she didn't want to let her girls go again.

"Do you know where he took her?" Hermione dropped to her knees in front of the girls. Both girls shook their heads. Hermione stood up and took them both by the hand. "Ok, we need to get out of here and then I need to let your daddy and Uncle Draco know that Payton isn't here."

---

"Narcissa! Narcissa you open this door this instance! Damn it woman I said open the door!"

Payton watched as the blonde man blew the door up with his wand and pointed it straight at her grandmother. Her grandmother in turn stood and pointed her wand right back at the man.

"I told you not to interfere, Narcissa!" He spoke in a tone that made the hair on Payton's back stand straight up.

"And I told you Mr. Malfoy that I was not listening to you. This is all your fault. You deprived me of my granddaughter. You're the reason I sit here alone most nights. You're the one that took my son away. You took my Draco away! I'm tired of it Lucius. This is my only granddaughter! You will not hurt her! I won't let you take her away from me!"

Lucius chuckled slightly, "Is that right my darling wife? Well let's see how you like this!" He turned his wand on Payton and cried, "Cruico!"

Payton fell to the floor screaming in pain. She had never experienced this sort of pain before. She screamed and cried until she heard, "Avada Kadavra!" And the pain died away instantly. Her grandmother had picked her up and held Payton in her arms. Payton turned and saw the man lying dead on the floor. A shadow walked up behind it.

"Is he dead Draco?" She heard her grandmother ask quietly.

She watched as her father kicked the man in the face. Nothing. He looked up at Payton and then at her grandmother.

---

Draco heard someone shouting from inside the den. He trotted quietly down the hallway towards the screams and realized they were coming from his mother. He stopped to listen but the screams had died also. Then he heard his father shout "Cruico". It took only a second to realize that the screams were Payton's. He ran as fast as he could down the hallway but stopped when he heard his mother cast the killing curse. His father fell dead into the hallway. He walked slowly afraid of what he might find. As he walked past his father's body he was relieved to see that Payton was alive.

"Is he dead Draco?" his mother asked him. Draco took a step backwards and kicked his father's face. The man didn't move. He turned back to his mother and daughter. He glanced at Payton and then back to his mother.

"Yes mother. He's as dead as it gets."

His mother sat on the couch and pulled Payton into her arms. "Now that your father is no longer here, can I declare Grandmother Right's?"

"Grandmother Right's?" Draco was confused. His mother had just killed his father and now she was asking about something that made no sense.

"Yes. You know grandchild comes over to spend the night once and a while and grandmother bakes cookies. If she's going to be my only grandchild then I need to spoil her rotten don't I?"

"Well she won't be you're only child for long. You'll be a grandmother again in a few months. A boy this time."

Narcissa smiled at Payton, "A grandson." She said.

---

Hermione climbed the stairs gently, afraid to make one sound. Once they reached the top, she lead the girls to the window she had entered only to find it charmed shut.

"Going somewhere Mudblood?" Hermione gasped as she recognized the voice as belonging to Peter Pettigrew or Wormtail. She pulled her wand, but he was faster.

"Diffindo!" he cried. His spell hit Hermione in the forehead causing it to bleed but not enough to kill her.

"Stupefy!" she screamed but he ducked under a table in kitchen and came up on the other side with a "Sectumsempra!"

Hermione knew that the spell had hit one of her girls. She cried "Expelliarmus!"

Once she had Wormtail's wand away from him she binded him to the wall with ropes and gagged him. Once she saw that he was secure she turned back to her girls.

"Livy wake up. Livy get up! Mommy she's bleeding and she won't get up." Vivian turned to her mother. Hermione knelt beside her youngest child and fought back the panic as she watched her bleed from her severed arm. She cast episkey on her to stop the bleeding just as Severus ran into the room.

---

Severus heard the screams from the kitchen. He turned and started to run down the hall but found himself face to face with Theodore Nott Sr. The two quickly recognized each other and sent spells in each other's direction. The battle ended quickly with Nott lying dead in a puddle of his own blood. Severus ran towards the kitchen. What he found there was enough to make him throw up. His youngest daughter was lying there with her arm hanging on by the flesh. She was unconscious so he took off his robe and wrapped it around her arm, careful not to tear the remaining skin.

---

Draco turned toward his mother and asked the one question that he needed to know, "Mother were there any other death eaters here tonight?"

"Yes there were two other's. Wormtail and Nott."

"We need to find Hermione and Severus."

The three set off towards the kitchen and started to run when they heard the screams. When they entered the kitchen they found Severus kneeling over his daughter. Draco watched as he picked her up and turned towards Draco.

"I need to get her to Poppy!"

"Take the floo!" Narcissa said and handed him a vase with Floo powder in it. Severus took a handful and stepped into the fire.

---

Author's note: Will Poppy be able to save Olivia's arm? (Ok I can't be that mean! It's not as bad as it seems!)I'll try and have the next chapter up soon! The more you review the quicker you get it! Love and Brownies!


	18. Aftermath!

Rest in Pieces

By JennyRice07

Summary: After the war.

Disclaimer: Oh yea I own Harry Potter and have billions of dollars…yet I'm posting this on Anyone see the flaw?

Author's note: Sorry this took a little longer than I thought. My computer went caboom, and then it went crash. My loving fiancée spent 14 hours of fixing it to save my story and my school notes. I love you baby! There may only be a few chapters left. Please, please Review. I want at least 100 reviews.

Thanks to my wonderful Beta firechildslytherin5 for being patient and fixing all of my stupid mistakes. You're the best!

Chapter 17

Aftermath

Severus stepped out of the fireplace and gently laid his daughter down on one of the beds. Mary, Poppy, and Ginny all came running. Several blood-replenishing potions, nerve repairing spells, muscle healing, and cut mending potions later Olivia was awake and talking. Her arm was still swollen but had a makeshift cast filled with ice wrapped around it.

Two days later, Hermione and Severus were able to take her home. They had left her in the infirmary an extra day to avoid the reporters trying to get interviews. A month after the ordeal and things had settled down. Kingsley was appointed Minister of Magic. His first action was to appeal the laws against muggleborns. His second action was to reopen shops and allow open access to St. Mungo's. Ginny and Mary had both been awarded their mediwitch licenses. Both chose to remain at Hogwarts.

Dumbledore had reopened the ports, allowing Draco, Mary, Severus and Hermione to live in their old homes again. Now instead of small Hogwarts suits, when they entered their offices they were connected to Spinner's End. All was well and calm. Olivia's arm had fully healed but it still ached her constantly. Usually the pain went away after a heat wrap was placed around it. It was a muggle method, but it worked. Spinner's End had been redecorated to suit both girls. They had their own rooms now.

Yes, things were going great with the Snape family, until Hermione spotted an article in the Daily Prophet.

"Severus!" She called. She set her coffee mug down, because her arm was shaking so badly.

"What is it, love?" He called from the bathroom. He was in the middle of shaving, half of his face was covered in shaving cream. Hermione handed him the paper and he read aloud.

_Marriage Law Revoked!_

_As of today all couples that were married under the Marriage Law are considered divorced by a decree of the Minister of Magic. All couples wishing to remarry have a limit of three days. After this time they will not be allowed to remarry. _

Severus looked up at Hermione who had collapsed in a chair. "How could Kingsley do this?" She asked.

Severus started to speak but was interrupted, "Because not everyone who was forced to marry ended up in good relationships. I for one consider it a blessing." Draco spoke from the doorway.

"How can you consider that to be a blessing? I thought you loved Mary?" Hermione asked.

"I do love Mary. I love her with all my heart. That is why this is such a blessing. Don't you see?" He asked. When they both looked at him puzzled he groaned but continued, "When we were married the first time, father wouldn't allow her the dress she wanted, or the decorations. He humiliated her in front of her family and friends. I want this one to be special. Aren't weddings supposed to be a wonderful memory? Hers wasn't. I want to make it special for her. She deserves it."

Hermione smiled down at the floor, "You're right. And this time our girls will be there."

"Well I'm glad that this is all settled but, can I finish shaving now?" Severus asked with his usual sarcasm. Draco and Hermione laughed as he slammed the bathroom door shut.

Author's note: I know it's short but the next chapter will be longer I promise. I didn't want to leave you hanging with that last cliffhanger. There will only be two more chapters so please review now! Love and Brownies to you all. I've been having computer problems so this is a forewarning, there will be two more chapters. Chapter 18 and the Epilogue (I thinks that's spelled right!) also Finals week is coming up so it may take a while to get it up. Sorry for the wait. Love and Extra Brownies for my wonderful reviewers.


	19. Epilogue

Rest in Pieces

by JennyRice07

Author's note: I'm so sorry this took so long. I've been having some problems. I have recenty moved from the dorm to an apartment. My classes are harder. However the excuses can go on and on so I'll cut to the point. I've decided to skip over the weddings. Draco and Mary had a beautiful wedding. Everyone knows what weddings are like. This is the Epilogue so I hope you enjoyed my story. Again I'm so sorry for the wait.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.Summary: Epilogue

Epilogue

Hermione and Severus took their vows again. This time both of their daughters were present. Unlike her first wedding were they were unsure of their future, Hermione and Severus knew exactly were they would be in 12 years. Or so they thought!

12 years later

The day before school started was always a hectic day. There was the packing of things, sending things they would need for the year back to Hogwarts, double checking to make sure nothing was forgotten, putting three owls and two cats into their cages, and making sure they hadn't forgotten anything on their list.

Severus and Hermione had decided after the girls had started school to only stay at Spinner's End during holidays. Now they spent their year in Severus's chamber's in the dungeon. This year was more exciting that normal. No it wasn't because Vivian had made head girl, or that Olivia had surprisingly made prefect. This year was Damien's first year at Hogwarts.

A few months after their wedding Hermione had discovered that she was pregnant again. This time she gave birth to a son. He was perfect in every way. Hermione named him Damien Alexander because the name meant the son of the conqueror, which is what she thought was the perfect name. After all his father had conquered more than one battle. He had fought the dark lord, rid the world of Lucius Malfoy, and had finally learned what love was.

Damien looked just like Severus but thankfully, he had his mother's nose. He was the shyest of the three kids. Yes this year was the most exciting year for the Snape family. Well for all but Damien.

"Damien's going to be in my house Vivy. He wants to be with me. Right Damien!"

"I...I" Damien stuttered as his older sisters' hounded him for the 723rd time this summer.

"Damien's too nice to be in Slytherin, Livy. It just makes more sense for him to be in Gryffindor with me. Tell her Damien. Tell her you want to be in Gryffindor with me." Both of his sisters rounded on him then.

"I.. I want...to be" he started to breath hard and looked between his sisters silently begging them to stop.

"Go on!" Olivia urged him on.Suddenly Damien couldn't breath and was holding his chest.

Hermione heard the girls harassing Damien from the other room and when she heard him start to wheeze she decided that it was time to intervene.

"Now look what you've done. Both of you should be ashamed of yourselves. He's going to go where the hat places him and that's that. Now both of you go help your father."

After the girls had left she turned her attention back to her youngest child. Damien was very small for his age. Hermione easily lifted him from the floor and he set next to her on the couch.

"Mommy, I'm scarred. If I go to Gryffindor then Olivia is going to be mad at me, but if I go to Slytherin Vivian will be mad at me." Hermione wiped his tears and took his hands into her own.

"Damien Alexander you are a very smart boy. No matter which house you go to, your father and I are going to be proud of you. Your sister's will come around eventually. Besides both of them will be leaving within two years. You go to which ever house you want to go to." she wiped his eyes one more time as he hiccupped. "Now, are you all packed." Damien nodded. "Then lets get you to the train station."

---

Once the girls had started school, Severus and Hermione had agreed to let them ride the train to school each year. They didn't want their children to be given any special treatment.

And so this is how they found themselves standing at the train station waving to their children. Once the train left they apparated back to Spinner's End to get the last of their stuff.

"I wonder how Damien's doing?" Severus wondered.

"I'd say right now he's too nervous about the sorting ceremony to do anything." Hermione answered.

Severus laughed as he closed his suitcase and tossed it into the fire. The flames turned green and the suitcase vanished. Hermione did the same and then they stepped through the fire themselves.

They spent the rest of the afternoon unpacking until it was time to meet in the great hall. They took their seats at the staff table and watched as the students piled in.

Hermione spotted Vivian standing next to her boyfriend Turner Wyatt. She giggled to herself when she remembered Severus's reaction when he had learned that she had a boyfriend three years ago. He was a Ravenclaw. At first she thought the relationship would burn itself out in no time but the couple had proven her wrong. Three years later and they were still going strong. Vivian had even hinted to her that they were thinking about getting married after they graduated.

It wasn't long before she spotted Olivia and Payton with their boyfriends of the week. Neither of them kept a boy for long. Finally when everyone had taken their seats, Hagrid entered with the 1st years.

She spotted Damien looking very pale and felt her heart break for him. Her little boy was terrified. Ginny stood next to the stool with a roll of parchment with the names of students to be sorted.

"When I call your name you will set on the stool and I will place the sorting hat on your head. Alfrey, Lial." A little boy with blonde hair was the first to go to Gryffindor. Hermione watched as it drew closer to her baby's turn.

---

Damien stood tall and tried not to show everyone how terrified he was. He listened as name after name was called until finally..."Snape, Damien." Damien walked toward the stool and was afraid he was going to puke when he sat on the stool. He jumped when he heard a small voice in his head. "Well now. I see a bit of trouble here. If I place you in Gryffindor one of your sister's gets mad. If I place you in Slytherin the other one gets mad. I think it would be best to avoid this all together, so I'll put you in RAVENCLAW!"

Damien felt like the weight in his chest had been lifted as he took his seat at the Ravenclaw table. He saw Olivia who's mouth was wide open and Vivian who was cheering for him at her own table. Vivian gave him a thumbs up. He looked back at his parents who were both smiling at him.

---

Severus watched as his son joined the Ravenclaws. He had never been so proud of his children. The only thing that worried him was that his daughter was sharing her quarters with her boyfriend. He just hoped they would be smart. However, tonight wasn't the night to dwell on it. Right now he was the proudest man in the world and that was how he would stay for a while!

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Author's note: I've decided to write a sequel to this story called "The Unexpected". It should be posted soon. I hope you enjoyed this story. Please review. Love and Brownies to you all. I hope to see you all with my next story.

Special thanks to:

Thanks to all my reviewer's. And a very very special thanks to my beta FireChildSlytherin5. You are the greatest!


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